This tree grows 40 different fruits! Working with a pool of over 250 varieties of stone fruit, Van Aken developed a timeline of when each of them blossom in relationship to each other and started grafting a few onto a working tree’s root structure. Once the working tree was about two years old, Van Aken used a technique called #chipgrafting to add more varieties on as separate branches. This technique involves taking a sliver off a #fruittree that includes the bud, and inserting that into an incision in the working tree. It's then taped into place, and left to sit and heal over winter. If all goes well, the branch will be pruned back to encourage it to grow as a normal branch on the working tree. After about five years and several grafted branches, Van Aken's first Tree of 40 Fruit was complete. #VanAken has grown 16 Trees of 40 Fruit so far, and they’ve been planted in #museums, community centres, and #privateartcollections around the US. He now plans to grow a small orchard of these trees in a city setting.http://www.sciencealert.com/news/20142107-25892.html