13/3/23, 14:34 The history of arboriculture | alimentarium

The history of arboriculture

Arboriculture, or the cultivation of fruit trees, is a sign of long-term
attachment to a territory and is part of its organisation. It dates back to the
Neolithic period and the cultivation techniques of Ancient Greece and Rome
remained unrivalled for centuries. However, it was not until the 19th century
that real enthusiasm for the practice developed. Conservatory orchards and
national inventories of cultivated varieties were established during this
period.
0 comments

© akg-images

 
https://www.alimentarium.org/en/fact-sheet/history-arboriculture 1/4
13/3/23, 14:34 The history of arboriculture | alimentarium

From Asia to Europe: the development of arboriculture

The settlement of nomadic populations in village communities led to the subsequent

domestication of plants and the emergence of agriculture and arboriculture. This
became known as the Neolithic revolution. The cultivation of fruit trees involves long-
term attachment to a territory, much more so than cereal cultivation, because of the
slow maturation of trees before they bear fruit.
Arboriculture developed within the Fertile Crescent: in Mesopotamia, between the
Tigris and the Euphrates, and in Egypt, in the Nile Valley. The first trees to be cultivated
were indigenous species. Migration and exchanges between civilisations gradually
introduced both cultivation techniques and a variety of cultivated species to Europe.
During Antiquity, from India to North Africa, the date palm was appreciated for its fruit
which can be eaten fresh or dried. Date palms are thought to be the first fruit tree
cultivated in the Middle East. The olive tree, which has been cultivated since 6000 BCE
in Asia Minor, first became widespread in North Africa before reaching Italy during the
6th century BCE. Its fruit is too bitter when fresh, hence it was primarily used for
producing oil, the benefits of which were known to ancient civilisations. In part thanks
to the conquests of Alexander the Great, other fruit trees which are familiar to us today
came to Europe from Asia. These include apple trees, pear trees, apricot trees and
plum trees. In their heyday, Ancient Greece and Rome developed advanced cultivation
techniques. Their mastery of the techniques of planting, grafting, pruning, pollinating
and creating new varieties by selection remained unequalled for centuries.
Later, in the Middle Ages, orchards structured the territory while providing food as
well. Although they were the privilege of the clergy and nobility, the fruit made its way
into the diet of the people. Already by the 6th century, Salic Law set out punishments
for anyone who damaged fruit trees. During the age of the Great Discoveries
(15th to 18th centuries) other fruit trees, such as the banana tree, mango tree and
Japanese persimmon, travelled between west and east. It was only during this period
that apple trees became established in Normandy, a region famous to this day for its
cider!

In the 18th century, Diderot and Alembert’s Encyclopédie described the various

methods of arboriculture in the ‘Arbre’ (Tree) section.

During the 19th century, arboriculture became more common among the middle classes
and their great enthusiasm for the practice resulted in the creation of conservatory

https://www.alimentarium.org/en/fact-sheet/history-arboriculture 2/4
13/3/23, 14:34 The history of arboriculture | alimentarium

orchards (outdoor collections of fruit trees), the creation of national inventories of

cultivated varieties, and a profusion of literature on the subject.

In the 20th century, the two World Wars transformed arboriculture into a practice that
focused on production.
DUPLIN, Henri, 1992. Alimentation et nutritions humaines. Issy-les-Moulineaux : ESF
Éditeur.
ISBN 9782710108924
GARNOTEL, Joseph, 2014. Au banquet de la nature : alimentation, agriculture et
politiques. Paris : Éditions Quae.
ISBN 9782759221509
MAZOYER, Marcel, 2002. Histoire des agricultures du monde : du néolithique à la crise
économique. Paris : Éditions du Seuil.
ISBN 9782020530613
QUELLIER, Florent, 2012. Histoire du jardin-potager. Paris : Armand Colin.
SBN 9782200271770
AGENCE RÉGIONALE DE L’ENVIRONNEMENT DE HAUTE-NORMANDIE | AREHN,
2008. Bibliographie Fruits et arboriculture fruitière [en ligne]. [Consulté le 24 février
2016]. Disponible à l’adresse : http://arehn-asso.superdoc.com
JANICK, Jules, 2005. The Origin of Fruits, Fruit Growing, and Fruit Breeding. Plant
Breeding Review. 2005. N° 25, pp. 255-320.

More on this topic

Clementine Chestnut

https://www.alimentarium.org/en/fact-sheet/history-arboriculture 3/4
13/3/23, 14:34 The history of arboriculture | alimentarium

https://www.alimentarium.org/en/fact-sheet/history-arboriculture 4/4