Apple Tree Anatomy in 3D: Blossom, Pollination and Inside the Apple
An apple starts life as a blossom and swells into fruit after a bee carries pollen to it. In the 3D Plant Anatomy simulator you can turn an apple tree around, follow it from flower to fruit, slice it open and watch water flow through it in X-ray.
Explore in 3DFour ways to see the apple tree
Whole plant
Cross-section
X-ray water flowApple quick facts
| Plant group | Fruit tree, rose family |
|---|---|
| Flowers | Pink and white blossom in spring |
| Pollinated by | Bees and other insects |
| Fruit | The apple |
| Origin | Central Asia |
Inside the apple tree
Cut an apple across the middle and the seeds form a five-pointed star, one chamber for each part of the original flower. The crunchy flesh around them grows from the swollen base of the blossom.
Parts of the apple tree
In the Parts up close view you can tap each of these parts to zoom in:
- Blossom
- Apple trees cover themselves in pink and white blossom in spring.
- Pollination
- Bees carry pollen from flower to flower. Without them, the tree would grow few apples.
- Young fruit
- After pollination the base of the flower swells into a tiny green apple.
- Inside the apple
- Cut across the middle, the seeds form a five-pointed star.
- Root tip
- Root tips push through the soil to find water and minerals.
Interesting facts about the apple tree
- An apple is the swollen base of a flower.
- Cut one across the middle and the seeds form a five-pointed star.
- Bees carry pollen from blossom to blossom so the fruit can form.
- Apples float in water because they are partly made of air.
- The apples we eat came originally from wild apple trees in Central Asia.
Compare: Fruit vs Vegetable: What Is the Real Difference? · Wind vs Insect Pollination: Oak vs Apple in 3D
More plants in 3D
Apple anatomy questions
How does an apple grow?
A bee carries pollen to an apple blossom, and the base of the flower then swells into the fruit.
Why is there a star inside an apple?
The five seed chambers, one for each part of the original flower, form a star shape when you cut across the middle.
Why do apples float?
Part of an apple is air, trapped between its cells, which makes it lighter than water.
Where do apples come from?
The ancestors of our apples grew wild in the mountains of Central Asia.
The 3D Plant Anatomy simulator is made by Julian Neagu, a solo founder in London, as part of VisionVix Simulators. It is free to use in the browser on desktop and phone, with no sign-up.