Trees, Shrubs and Conifers: Heros of Horticulture, 1 by Maackia

Maackia wrote:
Here's a pic my personal hort hero. It's an old Apple Tree and as you can see there's not much wood left to it. I've lived here for over 20 years and it hasn't changed much during that time. It's a reliable producer of tart apples about 3" in diameter, and I think it deserves recognition for incredible perseverance.

And now, for the rest of the story. Legend has that it was planted by a young John Chapman, who apparently fell head over seed bag for the homesteaders daughter. The young lovers would sit in the clearing and he'd regale her with stories of his travels, eating apples and spitting out seeds. Unfortunatley, once the farmer realized that young Johnny was planting more than just apple seeds, their budding romance was terminated and all that's left of their short-lived love story is this amazing tree. Yes, I know, it is an incredible tale, but it's all true and you can read more in Wikipedia. ;)