Australia gardener's tree grows five different species of fruit


Hussam Saraf of Shepparton, Australia, was awarded a Guinness World Record for grafting five different species of fruit onto a single tree. Photo courtesy of Guinness World Records

Nov. 11 (UPI) -- An Australia gardener earned a Guinness World Record when he successfully grafted five different types of fruit onto a single tree.

Hussam Saraf of Shepparton, Victoria, said he actually grafted 10 different fruits onto the tree in his back yard, but Guinness World Records told him not all of them counted as different types.

Saraf's tree bears white and yellow nectarines, white and yellow peaches, blood and yellow plums, peachcots, apricots, almonds and cherries.

"They told me my application was rejected, because they needed five different species, not varieties," Saraf told Guardian Australia.

Guinness initially told Saraf he had merely tied the record of five fruits, which was set by Luis H. Carrasco of Chile, but a further review found two of Carrasco's fruits -- peaches and nectarines -- only counted as a single species, reducing his number to four and giving the new record to Saraf.

"Sometimes you just need to have a conversation," Saraf said.

Saraf told Guinness his tree is meant to symbolize "peaceful coexistence" and serve as an example of how to live together with respect and acceptance in a diverse society.