In a fusion of science and art, ancient grafting techniques are being used to produce some very unusual trees. Sam van Aken is a contemporary artist on a botanical mission; he is creating trees that can bear up to forty different kinds of fruit. The Tree of 40 Fruit is a project creating a series of hybridised trees, each of which grows several kinds of stone fruits, including peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries and almonds. Each unique, one-of-a-kind tree is hand-crafted in a process that can take up to nine years. 

The trees are hybridised using a technique called chip-grafting. This involves a sliver of a tree containing a bud being inserted into a cut on the working tree, taped over and left to ‘heal in’ over winter, before being pruned back in the spring. This technique has been used since the 5th Century BC by the Romans and Ancient Greeks. Grafting is regularly used today in horticulture to combine the desirable qualities of one plant, such as flowering or fruiting, with the practical qualities of another plant, such as a sturdy and resilient root system. 

The Tree of 40 Fruit began as an artistic exploration into the beauty and wonder of nature.  Van Aken’s fruit trees blossoming in 40 shades of pink ranging from crimson through to white, or bearing 40 different fruits, are a spectacle to observe.  The project also has conservational goals, incorporating antique and native species of stone fruits into the hybrid trees. The aim is to prevent a decline in the diversity of fruit because of commercial demands; many varieties are rejected because of their size, shape or colour.

In a similar project, ‘Fruit Salad Trees’ are now available to buy online – you can order your own designer tree which will produce up to 6 different varieties of either citrus fruits, stone fruits or apples. These whimsical trees represent a union of science, art and conservation. Perhaps one day you’ll be able to make a fruit salad from a single tree in your college garden.