52 Super Interesting Facts About Apples [Free Fact Cards]

Ready to take a crunchy bite into some of the most interesting facts about apples? These round, delicious fruits are way more than a tasty after-school snack or your favorite pie that your grandma makes! Apples have been around for a long time and have some pretty cool secrets you may have never heard that we are excited to share! So wash off your shiny apple, take a big bite, and let’s dive into these interesting facts about apples.

Did you know that apples are from all over the world? In fact, the very first apple was grown in Kazakhstan, a country very far away from the United States. Since then, they are all over the world, and there are over 7,000 different varieties of apples. How is that for options?

Some apples are super sweet, while some are pretty sour (these are the ones you make pies, apple sauce, and cider with!). With so many kinds, there is always a new one to try!

Did you know that apples have even been to space, and astronauts have eaten them while floating at zero gravity?!

Ready to be an Apple expert? Check out even more Apple facts below! Don’t forget to grab your Apple fact cards to add to your collection! While you are at it, grab our Facts About Raccoons and our Facts about Turtles!

The Best Facts About Apples

1. Apple trees take 4-5 years to produce their first fruit.
2.  A standard size apple tree starts bearing fruit 8-10 years after it is planted.
3.  A dwarf apple tree starts bearing fruit in 3-5 years.
4. Some apple varieties have red flesh instead of white. While popular varieties such as Red Delicious and Honeycrisp are red on the outside and white on the inside, this isn’t the case for all apples. 
5. Archaeologists have found evidence that people have been eating apples since 6,500 B.C.

6. The crabapple is the only apple native to North America.
7. Apples make up half of the world’s deciduous fruit tree production
8. Apples are a member of the rose family of plants, along with pears, peaches, plums, and cherries.
9. There are more than 2,500 varieties of apples grown in the United States.
10. Apples grow in apple orchards.

11. Apples are related to roses. 
12. Although apples rank as the second most popular fruit in the US (with bananas taking the top spot), they frequently symbolize antagonists in movies and literature. This association harks back to the biblical tale of Adam and Eve, where the apple was portrayed as the forbidden fruit.
13. 7,500 varieties of apples are grown throughout the world.
14. Apples are mainly composed of carbs and water. 
15. Apples will ripen six to ten times faster at room temperature than if they were refrigerated.

16. Peruvian Apples aren’t actually apples. They’re the red or yellow fruit of the Peruvian Apple Cactus. These ‘apples’ are sweet and said to taste similar to dragon fruit.
17. Apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows.
18. The top apple producers around the world are China, the United States, Poland, Turkey, and Italy.
19.  Green apples are called Granny Smith apples
20. The science of apple growing is called pomology.

21. Apples float in water because 25% of their volume is actually air. 
22. Apples are less dense than water, making them the perfect fruit for apple bobbing.
23. Apples are very rich in fiber. 
24. It takes about 36 apples to create one gallon of apple cider.
25. Everyone knows that apple pie is often associated with being American, but this delicious dessert is actually European. 

26. The very first recipe for apple pie came from England hundreds of years ago.
27. A variety of apples range in size from a little larger than a cherry tomato to as large as a grapefruit. 
28. The largest apple ever picked weighed 3 pounds!
29. Apples can be grown in an orchard or in a family’s backyard. 
30. A brown apple isn’t necessarily a bad apple. The inside of an apple changes when it is exposed to air, but the fruit does not spoil this quickly. 

31. A peck of apples weighs 10.5 pounds.
32. In 2020 the most popular varieties of apples in the US were Gala (#1), Honeycrisp (#2), and Granny Smith (#3).
33. Apples boast many vitamins and minerals, though not in high amounts. 
34. Apples are a good source of vitamin C.
35. Apple trees can live to be about 100 years old.

36. The largest apple ever grown was a Japanese Hokuto apple that reached just over 4 pounds.
37. Apples are grown commercially in 36 states.
38. Apple consumption may reduce the risk of cancer
39.  One cup of apple juice is made from three apples.
40. A bushel of apples weighs 42 pounds and will yield 20-24 quarts of applesauce.

41. Steve Jobs had many reasons for calling his company “Apple”. He had just visited an apple farm and he thought the name sounded “fun, spirited, and not intimidating.”
42. Apples are high in various antioxidant plant compounds, which are responsible for many of their health benefits.
43. Apples contain 0 grams of fat or sodium and have no cholesterol.
44. An average tree produces 840 pounds of fruit.
45. The apple is a common symbol of education. 

46. In the 18th century, families in the United States and parts of Europe would give hard-working local teachers freshly picked apples to supplement their low wages. 
47. Apples are propagated by two methods: grafting or budding.
48. One of George Washington’s hobbies was pruning his apple trees.
49. Apple trees can be grown farther north than other fruit trees because they bloom late in spring, minimizing the chance of frost damage.
50. Early English apple pies didn’t include sugar because sugar was too expensive. To give it some sweetness, sweet fruit, like figs, were added. 

51.  The first American apple orchard was planted around 1625 by William Blackstone on Boston’s Beacon Hill.
52. If an apple has fewer seeds on one side than the other, it will be lopsided.

Do you have even more interesting facts about apples? Share them with us in the comments! Also, don’t forget to grab your free apple fact cards to add to your collection!

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