Fruit trees

Idea:

Many people in Lowell crave tropical fruits, but they are not easy to grow here. Also, there is a shortage of fruit of all types for people or wildlife. I propose planting fruit trees such as apple, apricot, mulberry, and hardy Meader persimmons in out-of-the-way areas that could benefit all for free. Maybe the canal walkway would be one place.

I thought of this a long time ago when there was an apricot tree in the Acre (Sufflok St.) One year it was so full of fruit it was orange from a distance. The next week when I went by, it was gone. I asked a boy on the property what happened, and he said “My Dad cut it down.” Sadly I asked why, and he said, “It had too much fruit.” It seemed that people were bothering them to get some fruit. The day I closed on my house I ordered an apricot tree in memory of that unappreciated one. The Whistler House had a similar problem with an apple tree.

Benefit:

Fruit is nutritious and expensive. Low-income people in particular don't get enough because of cost. Growing some locally would help these people as well as pollinators, helping to form a reserve of pollinators for gardens. It would be good for the environment because fruit bought at supermarkets is sprayed and transported mostly from far-away places, adding to our environmental footprint. People could work together to make preserves, too.

Location:

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