From flower to fruit
In early May, apple trees are covered in apple blossoms. In order for
the blossoms to become apples, they must be cross-pollinated.This means
that the pollen must travel from one flower to another before
fertilization can occur. Bees are responsible for this essential task.
Pollen is made by the stamens of the blossom. When bees travel from
blossom to blossom, they collect pollen and drop it from the stamens of
one blossom onto the pistils of another blossom. The pollen travels from
the sticky tips of the pistils—called the stigma—down
a long tube called the "style," and enters the ovary. It is at this
point that fertilization occurs and ovules within the ovary become apple
seeds.
After the seeds develop, the petals from the blossoms fall off. Next,
the ovary starts growing. The ovary is surrounded by a thin protective
layer. This layer eventually becomes the core line, or apple core. The
outer layer surrounding the ovary becomes the exocarp, or the eating
part of the apple. The calyx, stamens, and pistils become the dry, hairy
part at the bottom of the apple.
Pollination in New England
Apple Orchards
The buzz about why apples need honeybees
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