Friendship is the fruit which the year should bear; it lends its…

Friendship is the fruit which the year should bear; it lends its fragrance to the flowers, and it is in vain if we get only a large crop of apples without it.

Henry David Thoreau1817–1862 · writer · 1800s USAHenry David Thoreau was an American writer who spent two years living simply in a small cabin near Walden Pond, writing about nature, independence, and living deliberately.175 quotes

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How sure this is: 95% sureThese words were traced back to where they first appeared. That source is listed below.
What turned up: Journal, July 13, 1857; Journal IX, p. 480; Complete sentence checked visually in scanned journal, p. 480 (PDF page 9), with surrounding passage. Original says “the flowers”; quotation index omits “the.” Follow original scan. Public domain.
Work: Journal, July 13, 1857; Journal IX, p. 480
Sources checked: walden.orgChecked using manual, 20 October 2026Journal, July 13, 1857; Journal IX, p. 480; Complete sentence checked visually in scanned journal, p. 480 (PDF page 9), with surrounding passage. Original says “the flowers”; quotation index omits “the.” Follow original scan. Public domain.