The ceremony honoring Newton’s Apple Tree in Tianjin University

A descendant of Newton’s famous apple tree was unveiled in Tianjin University on Friday.

The original tree in Sir Isaac Newton’s home garden is believed to have inspired the founder of modern physics to inquire into the nature of gravitation and the law of motion after he watched an apple fall,

Cuttings from Newton’s Apple Tree were presented to the president of the university, Gong Ke, when he visited the tree in Woolsthorpe Manor two years ago.

The cuttings were grafted onto an apple tree on the campus which is now growing well under the care of gardeners in the university.

At the unveiling ceremony, Gong Ke received a donation contract for the cuttings from Susan Haimes, representative of Woolsthorpe Manor.

The novel addition to the campus is largely due to Professor Andy Augousti from Kingston University in London, who served as a go-between.

“I believe what really matters is the spirit of inquiry, persistence and continued seeking of the truth reflected in the legend of the apple tree, a spirit which is indispensible to becoming a successful scientist,” he said at the ceremony.

The original tree, under the protective decree of Queen Elizabeth II, is cared for by the National Trust, an organization which protects special places in the U.K.

The trust says the tree, a rare variety Flower of Kent, fell over in 1820 but is still growing well, having rooted where the trunk touched the ground.

Isaac Newton’s Apple Tree at Woolsthorpe Manor

By Guo Changdong