Apple Trees from Self- Quarantine 

Kaiyes A. Bhuiyan 

City College of New York 

Description  

Crab apples have always been my favorite breed of apple. Its tart taste is reminiscent of the sour apple candies I would have when I was in elementary school. Under the warm sun of the spring, the smell of crabapples would waft through the window of my home, enticing our salivatory glands. My mother would cut the apples and sprinkle salt and chili powder, and that is how we spent most of our days. With the tart and sour taste of the apples, coupled with the spice of the chili. This essay does not specifically have a group that it is intended to address, however the most important and impacted group would have to be the fruit connoisseurs such as myself who are obsessed with the intricacies of nature. People like myself are most able to comprehend the importance of the apple trees and nature that surround us as we grow older. 

As I look out of the window that faces my backyard, the apple tree would shield the ground from my stare. This tree has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Since as far back as I can remember it has loomed over the ground, littering it with smashed apples, and in the nineteen or so years I have been alive, its presence has only grown. Every year it blossoms with white and pink flowers that bear some of the best crab apples. Recently, however, I noticed that the flowers of the tree have only appeared on one side of the tree, whereas on the other side it is as if there are barely any flowers present. Unlike any other years, the tree, like the world outside has become weaker in appearance. Its once bright yellow-green leaves are now dull and are not as plentiful as they were before.  

It would be impossible to describe the tree with all my five senses. However through, sight, smell, and sound, the apple tree would be easily portrayed. The tree itself is not that much different to any other apple tree. Along with the apples, boxers, bras, mopheads, and assorted accessories that adorn it. While our clothes ended up on the tree most likely due to the wind, I liked to see it as a tradition among whoever lives in our building. A rite of passage: You will not be accepted as a tenant until your clothes are on the branch of the apple tree. To the average person our apple tree would closely resemble a gargantuan scale magpie-nest.  

It is obvious that most plants are incapable of making sounds. However, our apple tree is different. Our tree is itself a community of sparrows, squirrels, robins, and blue jays, all in a cacophonic symphony. On one branch the sparrows warbled calls like old grandmothers calling out to their grandchildren from the fire escapes. The squirrels scurry and jump from branch to branch like the Greek God Hermes speeding through the trees as if carrying with him the gossips of the other trees in our neighborhood. Occasionally the balance between the animals will shift and the different birds and squirrels will begin a different musical – a West Side Story. 

Figures 

Figure 1.  Crabapple Tree 

Research 

Figure 2.  Apple Tree Infographic 

There is not anything too special about apple trees. For the most part they are quite simple to understand. A large trunk, many branches, green leaves, and flowers of mostly white or pink. Apple trees uniquely have features that differentiate it from other tree species. For instance, apple trees are deciduous, meaning they experience a period of being dormant before a spike in activity during spring. Apples are a part of the rose family, much like their cousins the pear and plum. Apple trees can also live up to 100 years, trees will not be bearing any apple fruit until they are four to five years old. Despite being widespread throughout the world, apple trees originated from Central Asia. I was not able to find any information on why the apple tree would blossom on one side but not on the other. 

References 

Flowering Crabapple Tree, ‘Radiant’ – De Groot, Inc. – Perennials, Daylilies, Fruits, Vegetables, Shrubs, Bulbs. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://retail.degroot-inc.com/product/flowering-crabapple-tree-radiant#prettyPhoto 

Facts, J. F. (1966, January 1). Just Fun Facts. Retrieved from http://justfunfacts.com/interesting-facts-about-apples/