"It survived and bore fruit quickly," Prince said. Originally, three trees were planted, but some didn't survive because of the climate, while others were damaged. The trees on York's campus were planted in 1999. "They may go on display at some point along with other MacLean's artifacts." Prince said the seeds are now in the possession of the physics department at York University. When MacLean told Prince he wasn't allowed to take fresh fruit because of contamination, the seeds were sent up instead. "I had this idea of doing something rather humorous with this apple over his head and staying and not falling like Newton's theory of microgravity," Prince said in an interview. He wanted MacLean to take a picture of an apple floating over his head. He was assigned to a space flight in 2006 and his former teacher had a task for him. Seeds from its descendants have also defied gravity and made a trip to space, thanks to Robert Prince, professor emeritus of the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University in Toronto.Īstronaut Steve MacLean was Prince's student.
In 1820, a storm blew over the original tree, but it survived and continued to grow new roots, the organization says. The tree is an icon of learning, discovery and the start of the era of modern science, the trust says. "It's likely this was spread more by word of mouth between universities." It's not known how the idea to send universities Newton's apple trees came about and there doesn't seem to be a tradition or policy, it says. The tree is called Flower of Kent, a traditional variety, which produces cooking apples of varying sizes.Īn email from the organization says there are many universities around the world that have twins of the original tree. is the custodian of the original apple tree at Woolsthorpe Manor, where Newton considered the laws of gravity. The two cuttings were further grafted and now six trees sit on the TRIUMF campus. 4, 1971, the ground was covered in more than 50 centimetres of snow. Letters between the University of British Columbia and the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington, England, show that on the day two grafts of the trees arrived in Vancouver on an Air Canada flight on Jan. The trees' journey began sometime in the late 1960s and early 1970s. "It's not quite unlike a McIntosh but don't hold me to that," he said with a laugh.
Poutissou said he's tasted the apples, but that was a long time ago and he doesn't remember their exact flavour. Now nearly 50 years old, the trees are covered in buds that will fatten over the winter before bursting into fruit. It took a campaign to convince the president of the University of British Columbia, where TRIUMF is located, to intervene and save the roundabout where the trees are planted, he said. "Nobody (involved in the development) cared too much about Newton apple trees," he said. Poutissou, a researcher emeritus at TRIUMF, said the trees "were happily growing" until the mid-1990s when condo developers wanted a straight road from the campus to the homes. The trees are scions of the same tree that Sir Isaac Newton is said to have sat under as he pondered gravity. Poutissou came to Vancouver in October 1972 when the trees on the campus of the physics laboratory TRIUMF were mere saplings. VANCOUVER - On a cold, sunny day in December, Jean-Michel Poutissou paused to admire the six apple trees that he once fought to save.
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