New York first began to adopt its own official state symbols in 1882.
Many more have been adopted since then, and a state symbol can come in the form of state animals, mammals, a state bird and flower, vegetables, amphibians, nicknames, state seals, and much more.
State symbols were adopted by states to represent them and their historical roots best and past and present successes.
Like all other states, there are many New York state symbols that epitomize the state.
What is the State Fruit of New York?
The official New York state fruit is the apple (Malus). The apple became the official state fruit of New York back in 1976.
New York is the second-highest apple-producing state in the United States, and the production is incredibly impressive, averaging around 25 million bushels per year.
Apples were initially introduced to the U.S. in the 1600s by European settlers. These settlers brought seeds to New York, and over time dried apples became incredibly popular, becoming a regular food source for colonists.
Also, a favorite drink amongst them was hard apple cider. The picture that features in the New York state seal showcases the settlers’ boats hitting the waters of New York State.
There’s an abundance of different varieties, too, including McIntosh, Empire, Red Delicious, Cortland, Golden Delicious, Rome, Idared, Crispin, Paula Red, Gala, Jonagold, Jonamac, Fuji, Macoun, Braeburn, and even more.
In New York alone, there are approximately 600 apple growers throughout the state, with over 11 million apple trees too. New York produces enough apples to bake 500 million apple pies each year!
There are three major regions across the state that are responsible for New York’s impressive apple production; the Hudson Valley, Champlain Valley, and the southern shore of Lake Ontario.
Areas such as these provide apples with everything they need to thrive, which is due to the close proximity to large bodies of water.
Bodies of water massively benefit apple trees because the water remains warmer than the air surrounding the valleys, which reduces the damage from the weather in the winter month.
Large bodies of water benefit apple trees because unfrozen bodies of water remain warmer than the surrounding air, reducing winter damage.
Here are some recent statistics for apples in New York State:
- In 2019, New York State produced a massive 5,348,000 tons of commercial apples, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.
- The next year, in 2020, New York’s apple production dropped a little, whilst still producing impressive numbers – 4,965,800 tons of commercial apples.
- This trend continued in 2021, with a slightly less significant drop-off, producing 4,779,350 tons of commercial apples in total.
Most states will have their symbols showcase a relevant story that is indicative of the state and its history, and the Empire State (Big Apple) puts its history and what it stands for across very well in the New York State Fruit.
This interesting fact about New York and a whole host of others is what makes the state so unique and fascinating to those that live there or are researching the historical events of the state.
