1st Public Fruit Park in L.A.

The approval for Urban Fruit Trails to grow inside two city parks was given by the City of L.A.‘s Parks and Recreation Department.

The project, a collaboration between Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) and Fallen Fruit, will plant twelve fruit trees inside Lafayette Park, as well as another dozen in MacArthur Park throughout May and June.

Nara Hernandez, Visual Arts Director for HOLA, says:

This isn’t an ordinary public art project. A bronze sculpture in the park was only going to reach and impact so many people, [but] planting trees throughout the community is going to nourish a greater number of people.

What makes this project different for Fallen Fruit is that they will be working with the young people who are part of HOLA’s after school programs.

This wasn’t a decision taken lightly by the Department of Recreation and Parks. HOLA and Fallen Fruit had to answer a lot of questions. They had to explain why it’s okay for the trees to be irrigated with reclaimed water and questions about potential hazards stemming from the trees.

Although the trees are going to be dwarf trees, there are plans to purchase fruit-pickers to discourage climbing. The organizations also researched illnesses developing from fruit conception but it’s a rare scenario. HOLA will ensure that the trees will receive the care they need inside the parks and in other spots along the trails.

The benefits of fruit trees clearly outweighed any potential problems.

The students will also engage in Fallen Fruit‘s “Lemonade Stand” project, where people trade stories for lemonade.

Artist Austin Young says:

We will declare that these fruit trees are for the public. They’re for the city of Los Angeles. They’re for everybody here.

Fallen Fruit is an art collaboration originally conceived in 2004 by David Burns, Matias Viegener and Austin Young. Since 2013, David and Austin have continued the collaborative work. In their work, the Los Angeles-based artists use fruit to spark dialogue within communities.

This article first appeared on KCET.org. The content has been edited for length and clarity.