I had planted a couple apple seeds in one of the pots I keep on hand just in case I want to drop a seed in and see what happens. And, after a week or two, something came up. But, I actually don’t know what a sprouting apple seed looks like and this looked suspiciously like a weed to me. Which would be totally believable since the pots I use in this way have been around, so to speak. Weeds are not uncommon companions to seeds I put in the pots on purpose.

A quick search on ‘apple cotyledon’ (the internet is VERY forgiving if you misspell cotyledon) turned up this website. Of course, the internet link went directly to the page with the anatomy of an apple seed… which showed the cotyledon still packed up in the seed. Further internet investigation did indicate that what has come up in my pot is indeed an apple seed. Of course, what kind of fruit will be on any tree that should grow will be anyone’s guess, apples being apples.

Having answered my initial question (weed or apple) with reasonably high certainty, I dove back down the rabbit hole of a website devoted to apple parers. Mike Viney is responsible for this fascinating (and well-documented) trove of information on apple parers, including any number of images of antique devices, I believe from his own collection.

So, get out an apple to munch on (peeled or not), and spend some time learning more about apple parers.