Book | The Story of the Apple

A notably large sized apple found in the Karatau (Karatay/dag) mountains

Apples [1] originated in the Far East, probably in southern, central and western China. Dr. Barrie Juniper, a Research fellow in the Dept. of Plant Sciences at Oxford University has written interesting articles on this; one of them tells us that analysis of DNA shows close similarities between modern apples and wild species collected in Kazakhstan. The name "Almaty" derives from the Kazakh word for "apple" (алма), and thus is often translated as "full of apples". The Celts carried this concept to the West. Avalon from the Celtic word abal: apple; is a legendary island featured in the Arthurian legend, famous for its beautiful apples. But the first apples was brought to UK by the Romans. Apples appear in many religious traditions, often as a mystical or forbidden fruit. One of the problems identifying apples in religion, mythology and folktales is that the word "apple" was used as a generic term for all (foreign) fruit, other than berries but including nuts, as late as the 17th century.

[1] The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family Rosaceae.
Mavi Boncuk |

The Story of the Apple by Barrie E. Juniper and David J. Mabberley
Hardcover, 240pp, 36 colour illustrations, 22 b/w illustrations, 9 maps
ISBN-13: 978-0-88192-784-9 | ISBN: 0-88192-784-8

The Story of the Apple reveals the solution to a long-standing puzzle: where did the apple come from, and why is the familiar large, sweet, cultivated apple so different from all the other wild apple species with their bitter, cherry-sized fruits? It was long assumed that the apple of our gardens and supermarkets is the result of a complex history of hybridization and selection. But the true story turns out to be even more interesting, involving earthquakes in the mountainous Tian Shan and the spreading of deserts in Inner and Central Asia, the eating habits of bears and horses (and perhaps dung beetles), the Silk Roads and other ancient trading routes, the discovery of the horticultural technique of grafting, and the multiple virtues of cider.

Years of investigation in the field, laboratory, and archives were stimulated by discussions between Barrie juniper and his students - including David Mabberley - and Russian colleagues. The fruits of these studies are gathered here. The Story of the Apple will fascinate gardeners who wish to know more about the origin and natural history of the plants they grow in their yards or orchards; researchers and students in botany and horticulture who want the evidence from DNA, geology; anthropology; archaeology; zoology; and Classical history; and anyone with an interest in diet, well-being, and the benevolent effects of plants on the emergence of humankind.

Barrie E. Juniper, University of Oxford, is a pioneer in the study of plant surfaces, including the specialized ones of insect-catching carnivorous plants. His research interests also include the interaction between people, their animals, and the evolution of crop plants.

David J. Mabberley is the Soest Professor of Horticultural Science and Director of the University of Washington Botanic Gardens, and visiting professor at the University of Leiden. He, too, is interested in the relationships of plants and humans and has published extensively on botanical history and art, tropical ecology, and is the author of The Plant-Book, a Portable Dictionary of the Higher Plants.

See also:The Fatherland of Apples | The origins of a favorite fruit and the race to save its native habitat by Gary Paul Nabhan | Published in the May/June 2008 issue of Orion magazine