Fruit trees grow in many cities in Poland. Most often the fruit falls to the ground and no one uses it. There is a belief that such fruit contains many heavy metals. As the expert argues, this is a mistake. Such plums or mirabelles can be eaten successfully.Free fruit can be found thanks to an interactive map
Free fruit can be collected not only in the largest cities in Poland. The city of Wrocław has reminded us of their existence in its area. In the city’s Biskupin and Brochów districts, it is possible to pick apples, mirabelles in Ołbin, and edible chestnuts or nuts in Szczytnicki Park
In terms of nutrition, fruit from wild-growing trees is no different to that from regular crops. Even if a tree grows next to a busy road, this doesn’t harm the fruit, because heavy metals don’t accumulate in it. It is enough to wash such plums or apples well and they are ready to eat,” says Marta Czaplicka, PhD, from the Department of Horticulture at Wrocław University of Life Sciences
Wrocław’s fruit trees are often the remnants of former allotment gardens and orchards that existed before World War II. By the Old Oder River, near Bujwida Street, mirabelles, apple and nut trees grow. Apples and cherries, on the other hand, can be found by the Opatowice weir. There are a lot of fruit trees in Kowaly, where there used to be allotment gardens
Free fruit can be collected in other cities in Poland. Internet users who are active on the fallingfruit.org platform mark on a map the places where wild fruit trees grow. Simply go to fallingfruit.org and zoom in on the area of the country you are interested in. If you hover your cursor over a red spot, you can read what fruit is found in that location. New places can also be added to the site
Falling Fruit enjoys the culinary gifts of nature on the streets of our cities. By showing these resources on a map, we hope to facilitate direct contact and connection between people, food and the natural organisms growing in our area. It’s not just free food! Gathering in the 21st century is an opportunity for urban exploration, a chance to fight the scourge of concrete and to rediscover plants and their nature as sources of our food, reports the Falling Fruit platform
Many fruit trees can be found in Warsaw. One example is Żoliborz and Sady Żoliborskie. Old fruit trees still grow there today and have survived years of intensive development. When working on the design for the Sady Żoliborskie estate, architect and urban planner Halina Skibniewska decided to preserve as many of the fruit trees growing there as possible
It is worth noting that picking fruit from publicly accessible trees is not prohibited. Fruit amateurs are not threatened by any fine
source: Wrocław City Hall, www.wroclaw.pl, fallingfruit.org
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