Tree of 40 Fruit

On the Syracuse University campus, the Tree of 40 Fruit is a living artwork by sculptor Sam Van Aken that unites forty varieties of stone fruit from the genus Prunus on a single tree through grafting. Begun in 2008 after he acquired a 3-acre orchard from the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, the project preserved heritage fruit varieties by transferring buds from donor trees onto one host tree over about five years. The tree bears almonds, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, and plums in sequence from July to October, and its spring blossoms in red, pink, and white join contemporary art with horticulture and preservation.

Syracuse, New York · United States