Frankenstein Trees?!? What the heck is a Frankenstein Tree? Well, that’s what I call our four fruit trees that will each grow 4 different types of fruit. We have 2 apple trees, 1 pear tree and 1 cherry tree that will each give us four different types of each fruit. This is super cool and is also super weird. I am still trying to wrap my head around it all, but am extremely excited to see it in action!
First, let’s talk about what it means to be a 4 in 1 tree. 4 in 1 trees are different trees of the same species (apple or pear or cherry, for example) trees/branches that have been grafted onto an original tree. These trees are self-pollinating and most (that I’ve found) come in dwarf form.
Next, let’s talk about the word espalier. According to the free dictionary espalier means:
When you add the two together, you get Frankenstein Trees. Our Frankenstein Trees include:
2 Apple trees with 4 espalier branches. Each branch contains one of the following apples:
Red Fuji
Gala
Granny Smith
Golden Delicious
 |
| One branch of one of our Apple trees. Last years Comice Apples |
1 Pear tree which also has 4 espalier branches. Each branch contains one of the following pears:
Red Barlett
Red Anjou
Bartlett
Comice
 |
| Another picture from last year shortly after we planted this guy. We didn’t get any pears last year and doubt we will again this year. I am hopeful for next year 🙂 |
1 Cherry tree which has 4 (regular) branches (so maybe we can call this one a Semi-Frankenstein Tree). Each branch contains one of the following cherries:
Rainer
Van
Lapins
Bing
 |
| Yet again, a picture from last year shortly after planting our cherry tree. There was one cherry on this it last year when we brought it home. I don’t think we’ll get any at all this year. Maybe we’ll have tons next year??? |
First off, why would we even want to attempt to grow such weird…um, I mean…interesting trees? Well, because we have super limited space and because we love fruit! We could never fit an orchard on our property, so this is the next best thing. In addition to the whole fruit thing, the espalier trees take up almost no space at all (they are planted right up next to our fence). It’s kind of like magic!
This year we have countless baby apples coming to life on each of the branches of both apple trees. We planted these two a couple of years ago, so I think they’ve gotten their roots under them and are ready to make some fruit this year. Our pear and cherry trees are not as excited about this whole growth thing. We put them in last year and I don’t think they will do much of anything this year. I think I’ve seen one cherry blossom and about 5 pear blossoms. Maybe next year?
In addition to the Frankenstein trees, we have one regular old, boring Apricot tree. We planted him last year, too and haven’t seen much action there either. Oh well, I am still super excited about the apples!!!
When and where can I buy one?
Awesome trees love you Ideas
I think this is so cool. I have about 1/4 acre. I want to have rabbits, goats, chickens, ducks and bees. I would love to do the great fruit trees. I am afraid that my town won’t let me. I already have 6 Rabbits in hutches, and two ducks. I am afraid that if I go to the town to get permission to do more they will make me get rid of what I have. I think the fence is a good idea. I just don’t want to make my neighbors mad. I would love to have a small farm but I love the neighborhood I live in. My husband and I can both walk to work. We have only one car. Do you know anything about getting zoning laws changed, or did you not have to deal with that? Thanks for all the great inspiration!!
Cathleen, thank you for reaching out and sharing a piece of your experience! Check your city ordinances, they’re all different. In Santa Fe, there are very few ordinances…it’s still kind of the wild west in many ways, Some cities/towns will allow a set umber of chickens, or require their coops be X number of feet away from neighboring walls, etc. If there are no ordinances, do what you please! I’d be careful with going to the town to get permission, though…that can get sticky and some people have had their animals physically taken form them. Do you have a local Farmer’s Market? Ask around there about ordinances and such, my guess is they’ll know something or know someone who does! Also, we were the first ones in the neighborhood to put up a fence…some of the neighbors were unhappy at first, but they sur eloved the fresh eggs and produce once they started rolling in! Good luck!
We have a grafted pear tree too, it’s growing 2 types of asian pears. That is so cool, I love how your tree is growing different types of fruit. Totally awesome!!
Thanks for reading, Wisdom! 🙂
I love reading your blog. This 4 in 1 thing is absolutely fascinating. I’ll be watching the progress.