Every school pupil knows that Sir Isaac Newton had the inspiration for his theory of gravity whilst sitting under an apple tree and pondering why apples fall. This lovely story, which was related by Newton himself to several correspondents, occurred in the summer of 1666 - about 350 years ago.
What is perhaps less well-known is that the variety of apple which the famous scientist saw falling from the tree has been positively identified. The incident is known to have taken place in his garden at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire - and fortunately there was only one apple tree in the garden. It was subsequently identified as a very old English variety (not surprisingly) called Flower of Kent. It is a large sharp-tasting cooking apple with a juicy crisp flesh, which cooks to a smooth puree.
Even more remarkably, this apple tree, which must surely be the most important in the history of science, is still alive. It appears to have blown over several times in its life, but each time has re-grown from the roots. Many cuttings have been taken from the original tree, and it has become a popular variety in the grounds of university physics departments around the world.
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Tree specification
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Delivery for a single tree starts at £9.95, it is calculated based on your postcode.
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If you do not hear from us by February you can contact us in the spring to pre-order for the autumn.
Sir Isaac Newton's tree - Flower of Kent - is unusually late-flowering, so is a useful variety in areas subject to late spring frosts. Most late-flowering apple varieties will pollinate it, as well as late-flowering white-flowered crab-apples.
Isaac Newton's Tree is not self-fertile, so you will need another different but compatible variety planted nearby in order to produce fruit. The following varieties are good pollinators for Isaac Newton's Tree. If you are not sure about pollination requirements don't hesitate to ask us. More pollinators >
Unlike many garden centres and online retailers, the vast majority of our fruit trees are grown in the UK. Find out more.
In addition, all our trees are certified under the Plant Healthy scheme, supervised by the Plant Health Alliance. Other stakeholders include Defra and the RHS. The scheme aims to improve UK biosecurity by setting standards for all growers and retailers involved in selling plants in the UK. Find out more
When you buy your fruit tree from Orange Pippin Fruit Trees we guarantee it for the first season in your garden whilst it gets established. If it doesn't grow successfully, we'll either replace it the following season or offer a refund - subject to some conditions. Find out more.
