Adam's Apples

Apples are from Kazakhstan. But how did they get from there to circle the globe? How did they evolve from the wild, and in response to what evolutionary imperatives? One part of the story: the Silk Road. Another: horses.

An alert reader notes the following account of a project that is planting wild apples from Khazakhstan in New York City. Apples are from Kazakhstan, where the name of the capital city, Almaty, comes from an older name meaning "Father of Apples." The New York Times's Matt Flegenheimer details a tree planting on Randall's Island, in the East River across from 100 to 125 St. The project reminds me just a little of the Boston Tree Party around here. Hooray for civic fruit!

A vigilant reader provides a link to this BBC photo essay of apples in Kazakhstan, where the fruit originated and still grows wild. Thanks, ascorbic! A friend who has been there tells me of fabulous, huge Kazakh apples--not the ur-apples in ascorbic's link, but maybe shown here , and mentioned in this companion news story .