The tree bears grafts of nearly forty different types of fruits. As a result, it is also known as the Frankenstein tree or the 40-fruit tree.

Sam Van Aken, captivated by the process of grafting different tree branches to survive on other trees, compared it to Frankenstein. The leisure hobby rapidly turned into a full-fledged life pursuit. As an art professor at the University of Syracuse, Van Aken considered making artwork a pastime.

Consequently, he built a 40-fruit tree that yields approximately 40 distinct varieties of drupes, also known as stone fruits. Apricots, peaches, cherries, plums, and nectarines all belong to this group.

The “Frankenstein tree” effort is considered an artwork, having been copied 16 times in seven states throughout the United States.

Van Aken uses grafting methods, where he removes a plant stem, its appendages, leaves, lateral buds, flowering stems, and flower buds from a fruit tree and inserts them into the lateral branches of an underground part. This process enables the production of new above-ground growth, which eventually integrates into the underground part. Van Aken accomplishes this by using a local plant that thrives in the climate and soil.

Fruits will be able to grow even in areas where they cannot naturally grow.

In his 2014 TEDxManhattan talk, Van Aken stated, “I regard the ‘tree of 40 fruits’ as a piece of artwork, a research effort, and conservation.”

“Each site is distinct,” explains the artist. The artist plants these trees at art institutes, private homes, and universities.

The Children’s Discovery Museum in San Jose recently planted another tree. According to museum personnel, the tree will be the centerpiece of the new garden addition. The ‘Tree of 40 Fruits’ will be part of the museum’s ecological teaching program, according to Autumn Young, the marketing director.

“It’s a fantastic chance for kids to connect with arts that provide fruits,” Autumn Young tells me. “It’s a way to teach children what art is.”

The 40-fruit tree requires special care to maintain its health and flourish before the grafts begin to bear fruit.

Pruning and properly putting the grafts in place to produce fruit are the most critical components of this process.

Van Aken methodically plans and designs each tree. To maximize efficacy, he picks each type to flower and bear fruit all year.
The art instructor intends to spread the ’40 Fruit Tree’ to the entire world in order to encourage fruit diversity and share his artwork with others.