The recent winds blew most of the apple blossoms off the tree leaving a sea of white on the ground. The apple tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, Malus sieversii, is still found today. Apples have been grown for thousands of years in Asia and Europe, and were brought to North America by European colonists. The only apples native to North America are crab apples, which were once called “common apples”.
Apple varieties brought as seed from Europe were spread along Native American trade routes, as well as being cultivated on Colonial farms. An 1845 United States apples nursery catalog sold 350 of the “best” varieties, showing the proliferation of new North American varieties by the early 19th century. There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples now.
Apple Blossom
