Flower of Kent facts for kids

The Flower of Kent is a special kind of green apple. It's famous because of a story about Isaac Newton. People say he saw this very apple fall from a tree. This event supposedly helped him think about his big ideas on gravity.

This apple tree in Cambridge is a descendant of a tree that grew in Isaac Newton's garden.

What is the Flower of Kent Apple?

The Flower of Kent is a type of apple grown for cooking. It has a green skin. This apple is shaped a bit like a pear. It's known for being soft and not very juicy inside. It also has a slightly sour taste. By today's standards, it's not considered a top-quality apple for eating fresh.

Where Did This Apple Come From?

As its name suggests, the Flower of Kent apple likely came from Kent, England. This area is famous for growing many types of apples.

The Story of Isaac Newton and the Apple

The most famous thing about the Flower of Kent apple is its connection to Isaac Newton. Newton was a brilliant scientist. The story goes that he was sitting under an apple tree. He saw an apple fall to the ground. This simple event made him wonder why things fall down. It led him to develop his ideas about universal gravitation. This is the force that pulls everything towards each other, like why apples fall to Earth.

Where Can You Find Flower of Kent Apples Today?

The Flower of Kent apple is not grown much for sale anymore. It's quite rare. However, some trees still exist. Many of these trees are said to be descendants of the original trees at Newton's home, Woolsthorpe Manor.

Most of the Flower of Kent trees alive today come from a single tree. This special tree was located in East Malling, Kent.

Famous Descendant Trees

• One descendant tree grows in the President's Garden at MIT in the United States. It's a very special tree, though it has only produced one apple!
• The National Fruit Collection at Brogdale in England also has an example. It is listed as "Isaac Newton's Tree." This collection helps to preserve many old and rare fruit varieties.
• You can also find this apple cultivar at Antique Apple Orchard Inc. in Sweet Home, Oregon, in the United States.