photo #8349693

After seeing an apple fall perpendicularly to the ground in 1666, Isaac Newton reasoned. “there must be a drawing power in matter.” The incident sparked his theory of gravity. The apple tree still survives in Newton's garden at Woolsthorpe Manor, his birthplace in Lincolnshire. The original tree blew down in a storm in 1816. Some branches were removed but the major portion of the tree was left and re-rooted. This tree is still growing at Woolsthorpe Manor today and now must be over 350 years old. The tree is now on its third set of roots but still provides a good crop of apples each summer. The story of Isaac Newton and the apple tree comes from his biography written by his friend William Stukeley. Although Newton did not specify from which tree he observed the apple fall, it was deduced to be this one since it was the only apple tree growing in his garden at the time. Over the years several members from the scientific community have wanted to showcase a descendant of the original Newton's apple tree at their premises. Presently, there are many descendants of Newtons apple tree all around the world which have been grafted from the original. Many of them are showcased in research centres and universities, or are growing in botanical gardens around the world.