--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: More than any other single trait, it is…" description: "\"“More than any other single trait, it is the apple’s genetic variability—its ineluctable wildness—that accounts for its ability to make itself at home ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/michael-pollan-408_apple_more-than-any-other-single-trait-it-is-t_2152472.jpg" --- # More than any other single trait, it is the apple’s… ![“More than any other single trait, it is the apple’s genetic variability—its ineluctable wildness—that accounts for its ability to make itself at home in places as different from one another as New England and New Zealand, Kazakhstan and California. Wherever the apple tree goes, its offspring…” quote by Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/michael-pollan-408_apple_more-than-any-other-single-trait-it-is-t_2152472.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/michael-pollan-408_apple_more-than-any-other-single-trait-it-is-t_2152472.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/43c/michael-pollan-408_apple_more-than-any-other-single-trait-it-is-t_2152472.jpg) > ““More than any other single trait, it is the apple’s genetic variability—its ineluctable wildness—that accounts for its ability to make itself at home in places as different from one another as New England and New Zealand, Kazakhstan and California. Wherever the apple tree goes, its offspring propose so many different variations on what it means to be an apple—at least five per apple, several thousand per tree—that a couple of these novelties are almost bound to have whatever qualities it takes to prosper in the tree’s adopted home.”” [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Apple’s genetic diversity lets it thrive in many climates, producing many variants that can adapt to new environments. **In simple terms:** Genetic diversity lets apples adapt everywhere. Key Takeaway Embrace variability for resilience. Themes adaptation genetics diversity resilience ecology Mood optimistic scientific Type informative educational When to use this quote - agricultural breeding - conservation - urban planting - climate change adaptation Key Concepts evolutionary biology plant genetics phenotypic plasticity Questions to Reflect On - How can we protect genetic diversity in crops? - What limits adaptation in extreme climates? A Different Perspective Genetic variability alone may not overcome extreme environmental stressors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple/) [Apple Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-apple-2085733/) [Apple Genetic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-genetic-4531576/) [Apple Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple-tree/) [Genetics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genetics/) [Means Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-apple-4531577/) [Trait Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trait-apple-4531575/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) [Variability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variability/) ## Related quotes > [I put a hole in your apple what that is Apple Jacks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-wayne/i-put-a-hole-in-your-apple-what-that-is-apple-jacks/) [Lil Wayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-wayne/) > [Apple is all-in on Apple hardware and still wants you to be all-in, too.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-mossberg/apple-is-all-in-on-apple-hardware-and-still-wants-you-to-be-all-in-too/) [Walt Mossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-mossberg/) > [Adam did not want the apple for the apple's sake; he wanted it because it was forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/adam-did-not-want-the-apple-for-the-apple-s-sake-he-wanted-it-because/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [What is Apple, after all? 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For these decision makers the choices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-d-chandler-jr/the-modern-joint-stock-firm-is-the-outcome-of-innumerable-decisions/) [Alfred D. Chandler, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-d-chandler-jr/) > [The grand points in human nature are the same to-day they were a thousand years ago. The only variability in them is in expression,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/the-grand-points-in-human-nature-are-the-same-to-day-they-were-a/) [Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/) > [I think the impacts of 9/11 on academic freedom vary greatly depending on locale and time (softening with the passage of time), and even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-a-falk/i-think-the-impacts-of-9-11-on-academic-freedom-vary-greatly/) [Richard A. Falk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-a-falk/) > [You want to favor systems that benefit from error, disorder, variability and things like that. You want to favor these systems and unfortunately, when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/you-want-to-favor-systems-that-benefit-from-error-disorder/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [“Perception can be one-sided or variant: "Glass half empty or half full." There usually is more than one way of perceiving. Thoroughly check your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-f-hodge/perception-can-be-one-sided-or-variant-glass-half-empty-or-half-full/) [T.F. Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-f-hodge/) > [“Experiences with finite variability become less engaging because they eventually become predictable. Businesses with finite variability are not inferior per se, they just operate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nir-eyal/experiences-with-finite-variability-become-less-engaging-because-they/) [Nir Eyal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nir-eyal/) > [The five-year mean global temperature has been flat for the last decade, which we interpret as a combination of natural variability and a slow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hansen/the-five-year-mean-global-temperature-has-been-flat-for-the-last-2/) [James Hansen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hansen/) > [Never, never, never think - that's one lesson you should have in life. Never think that lack of variability is stability.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nassim-nicholas-taleb/never-never-never-think-that-s-one-lesson-you-should-have-in-life/) [Nassim Nicholas Taleb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nassim-nicholas-taleb/) > [Nature will eventually do what nature has always done. It will respond in a self-stabilizing manner over the long term with moderate variability over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-sununu/nature-will-eventually-do-what-nature-has-always-done-it-will-respond/) [John H. Sununu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-sununu/) ## More by Michael Pollan > [“In the same way that the picturesque designers were always careful to include some reminder of our mortality in their gardens -- a ruin,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-the-same-way-that-the-picturesque-designers-were-always-careful-to/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [My hope is that if people have the knowledge, and if they actually see where their food comes from and have access to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/my-hope-is-that-if-people-have-the-knowledge-and-if-they-actually-see/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [The problem is that we let special-occasion food become everyday food. That goes for soda and french fries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/the-problem-is-that-we-let-special-occasion-food-become-everyday-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [Every peasant cuisine has incredible ingenious tricks for getting a lot of nutrition out of a small amount of ingredients. There are people who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/every-peasant-cuisine-has-incredible-ingenious-tricks-for-getting-a/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“In ancient Greece, the word for “cook,” “butcher,” and “priest” was the same—mageiros—and the word shares an etymological root with “magic.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/in-ancient-greece-the-word-for-cook-butcher-and-priest-was-the-same/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [In the end I'm still a writer. I'm still a journalist, and my first responsibility is to my readers. 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When you eat with consciousness, and you know what you're eating, and you eat it in full appreciation of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/eat-with-consciousness-when-you-eat-with-consciousness-and-you-know/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [This is part of human nature, the desire to change consciousness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/this-is-part-of-human-nature-the-desire-to-change-consciousness/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“...whenever I hear people say clean food is expensive, I tell them it's actually the cheapest food you can buy. That always gets their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/whenever-i-hear-people-say-clean-food-is-expensive-i-tell-them-it-s/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“Imagine if we had a food system that actually produced wholesome food. Imagine if it produced that food in a way that restored the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/imagine-if-we-had-a-food-system-that-actually-produced-wholesome-food/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) > [“CONSULT YOUR GUT.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pollan/consult-your-gut/) [Michael Pollan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) [Explore all 584 Michael Pollan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pollan/) ## More Apple quotes > [“Neither's the one you get, less you want me to see if your apple's ripe, yet. - Yoren”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-r-r-martin/neither-s-the-one-you-get-less-you-want-me-to-see-if-your-apple-s/) [George R.R. Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-r-r-martin/) > [“Most people believe the apple merely represented Knowledge. But we know better. It was the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-beverly-whittemore/most-people-believe-the-apple-merely-represented-knowledge-but-we/) [Miranda Beverly-Whittemore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-beverly-whittemore/) > [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [“An apple with a rotten core can only last so long,” he”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-rice/an-apple-with-a-rotten-core-can-only-last-so-long-he/) [Morgan Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-rice/) > [I'm not only a fan of Apple products, I have stock in the company. I think Steve Jobs has started one of the greatest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kid-rock/i-m-not-only-a-fan-of-apple-products-i-have-stock-in-the-company-i/) [Kid Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kid-rock/) > [When Apple introduced its game-changing iPhone in 2007, Nokia was caught sleeping on the job. Although it had actually developed an iPhone-style device -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/when-apple-introduced-its-game-changing-iphone-in-2007-nokia-was/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [I like to make pies. That's kind of my new obsession - peach, blueberry, apple, strawberry. I make a really good pumpkin pie with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morgan-saylor/i-like-to-make-pies-that-s-kind-of-my-new-obsession-peach-blueberry/) [Morgan Saylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morgan-saylor/) > [I love to eat an apple after a meal, just to cleanse my teeth - they always look polished afterwards.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-love-to-eat-an-apple-after-a-meal-just-to-cleanse-my-teeth-they/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [Back in my school days, when I would scuttle off with a cheese roll, an apple, a box of Sun-Maid raisins and a Penguin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-khoo/back-in-my-school-days-when-i-would-scuttle-off-with-a-cheese-roll-an/) [Rachel Khoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-khoo/) > [As far as Apple goes, it was a different company every few years from the time I joined in 1984.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-kay/as-far-as-apple-goes-it-was-a-different-company-every-few-years-from/) [Alan Kay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-kay/) > [“You are the apple of Love’s eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-paul-kirkpatrick/you-are-the-apple-of-love-s-eye/) [David Paul Kirkpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-paul-kirkpatrick/) > [Like a satellite in orbit, Apple is perpetually falling. It just happens to miss Earth every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-dediu/like-a-satellite-in-orbit-apple-is-perpetually-falling-it-just/) [Horace Dediu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-dediu/) > [Positive thinking is so firmly enshrined in our culture that knocking it is a little like attacking motherhood or apple pie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/srikumar-rao/positive-thinking-is-so-firmly-enshrined-in-our-culture-that-knocking/) [Srikumar Rao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/srikumar-rao/) > [To the extent that anyone anywhere does anything interesting, the question is: 'Why isn't Apple doing that; why is Apple behind in that?' We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-federighi/to-the-extent-that-anyone-anywhere-does-anything-interesting-the/) [Craig Federighi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-federighi/) > [I read the Steve Jobs book, and that kind of changed everything. I've been, like, an Apple geek my whole life and have always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/g-eazy/i-read-the-steve-jobs-book-and-that-kind-of-changed-everything-i-ve/) [G-Eazy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/g-eazy/) [Browse all 889 Apple quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apple/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“More than any other single trait, it is the apple’s genetic variability—its ineluctable wildness—that accounts for its ability to make itself at home in places as different from one another as New England and New Zealand, Kazakhstan and California. 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