Apple tree

History • Apples originated in Europe near the Caspian Sea and were

eaten by ancient Greeks and Romans

• There has been evidence of apples found in prehistoric dwellings in parts of Europe

• The pilgrims planted the first apple trees in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and the fruit spread all over the United States

• According to the University of Illinois, in colonial times, apples were called winter bananas or melt-in-the-mouth.

Age • Apple trees take 4 to 5 years to produce

fruit, but, according to Urban Forestry, apple trees are one of the longest living fruit trees• Although apple productivity decreases with

time, apple trees can live well over 60 years

Location • The United States is one of the top apple

producers in the world• Other countries that grow apples are China,

Turkey, Germany, Poland and Italy

Medical uses• Apples are used to control diarrhea or constipation;

and for the softening, passage, and collection of gallstones.

• They are also used to prevent cancer, especially lung cancer. Other uses include treating cancer, diabetes, dysentery, fever, heart problems, warts, and a vitamin C-deficiency condition called scurvy.

• Some people also use apples for cleaning their teeth.

Apples are a member of the rose family.

The End

The old saying "an apple a day, keeps the doctor away" comes from am old English adage, "To eat an apple before going to bed, will make the doctor beg

his bread."