11 Surprising Johnny Appleseed Facts for Kids [UPDATED Facts]

Does your little one enjoy eating apples? Does he/she know about the man called Johnny Appleseed? Well, as many of you must know, his real name was Johnny Chapman and you must have seen his portraits.

He is a pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of various cities like Pennsylvania, Ontario, Indiana, Ohio and Illinois. After turning 18, he spent a little bit of time as a nomad before he started working for an orchardist, Mr. Crawford who had apple trees. This is what led him to start planting apple trees.

Now that an introduction has been given, wouldn’t you like to tell your little man about this man? If yes, then continue reading to learn about some amazing Johnny Appleseed facts for kids and yourself. You may have heard of him but I am sure you will enjoy reading some fun facts about him.

11 Most Interesting & Fun Facts about Johnny Appleseed for Kids

Johnny Appleseed changed the entire apple and orchard game in the United States of America. His work was highly appreciated and he became a very well known figure throughout the country. Let us dive into some interesting facts about the man.

1. He didn’t just plant apple seeds

While Johnny Appleseed got his name because he planted apple seeds, he also planted other trees. He planted a variety of medicinal herbs and trees to help the people, especially the Native Americans. This is what led him to create good relations with the Native Americans.

2. He became a vegetarian as he loved animals

Johnny Appleseed loved all animals and sorts of creatures. This is the reason why he became a vegetarian. His travel records tell a story of a certain incident where he became really sad because some mosquitoes flew into the fire. Not only did he love animals but also small insignificant creatures like insects and worms.

3. He also preached wherever he planted trees

Johnny Appleseed was also a missionary of the New Church, a sect of Christianity, which was established in the late 18^th century. As a result of this, he also preached the ideas of God and Nature together to people wherever he was planting the trees.

4. Johnny Appleseed’s apples weren’t tasty

Now, this can come off as a surprise. One might think that the apples would be tasty but that was not the case. The apples from the trees that Johnny Appleseed planted were small, tart apples. These apples were mainly used for making hard cider and applejack. These were alcoholic beverages. This is an interesting Johnny Appleseed fact.

5. He was welcomed everywhere by the Native Americans

If you read the history of America, you would know that the Native Americans did not take kindly to the outside settlers. Settlers were not welcomed at all by this community. However, that was not the case for Johnny Appleseed. He had strong bonds with the community and was always welcomed by them. He was also able to speak some of their languages.

6. He always carried a pan with himself

Johnny Appleseed always carried a pan along with him. He used this to collect seeds of different plants and trees that he came across while he was on his journeys. He would later plant these seeds in a suitable place.

7. He was a child born during the War

Johnny Appleseed was born during the peak of the American Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, his mother passed away a few weeks after his birth while his father was still at war. He grew up with an elder sibling and 10 other step-siblings from his father’s second wife. One could say that he had a huge family.

8. He did not marry

Johnny Appleseed decided was of the opinion that in his life romance could wait. As a result, he never married and did not have children either. He spent his whole life planting trees and helping out people in need and the settlers as well.

9. He owned 1200 acres of tree nurseries

At the time of his death, Johnny Appleseed owned at least 1200 acres of tree nurseries. He also owned several other plots of land. His estate and property passed on to his sister after his death as he did not have an heir. This 1200 acres of land was recorded however, it is believed that he had no record of the rest of the lands.

10. He was a businessman

Contrary to popular belief, Johnny Appleseed did not just plant trees in random areas. He used to plant them on a plot of land. Then he would sell off the trees to the settlers of that land which gave them some rights over the land. He kept on doing this in different places and this helped the settlers.

11. His legacy lives on

To this day, the legacy of Johnny Appleseed lives on. You can find his great, great, great, great nephew maintaining orchards. He also donates tress from the Appleseed Foundation. What is interesting is that one of the trees in his orchard is believed to be a direct descendent from one of the trees Appleseed planted.

Best Johnny Appleseed Books for Kids

1. Who Was Johnny Appleseed?
2. My Little Golden Book About Johnny Appleseed
3. Johnny Appleseed -by Reeve Lindbergh
4. Johnny Appleseed: Ready-to-Read Level 1
5. Johnny Appleseed -by Steven Kellogg

Johnny Appleseed Facts for Kids Video

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

That is it, people! You have reached the end of the article, ’11 Surprising Johnny Appleseed Facts for kids’. Hopefully, you and your little one had a great time and learned something about this legendary man. Now go, get yourselves an apple each and have a great day.