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A Rose is a Rose is an Apple
 BECOME A KITCHEN BOTANIST: A Rose is a Rose is an Apple
What a bounty we receive from the Rose family (Rosaceae). Roses are the
most popular flowers, and the most popular fruits in temperate zones, including the apple and the pear, are also in the Rose family.
In addition to the closely related apples and pears, the Rosaceae family includes peaches, nectarines, plums, apricots, cherries, almonds, loquats, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and loganberries.
Want to experiment? Break open the pits of stone fruits (peaches, plums, apricots), and you’ll find the seeds inside. Put the seeds on a damp paper towel on a saucer and cover with a glass. They just might germinate for you.
Apples and pears and their relatives are confined to temperate regions, because they must have cold weather during their dormant period to induce flowering. Pears tolerate warmer weather than apples.
Apples (Pyrus malis) originated in the mountains of Southeast Kazakhstan, and ancestors of the modern apple still grow in the region. Thousands of apple varieties have been produced in Europe and North America, but only about a dozen are in general commercial production.
Consumers want big red apples with long shelf life, and this is why the most popular apple by far is the Red Delicious, even if many find it is not actually the most delicious apple. A Farmers Market is a good place to try more varieties of this particular member of the rose family.
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