Explaining "Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs"

What does it mean?

"Walnuts and pears you plant for your heirs" is a proverb suggesting that some efforts or investments made today may not yield immediate benefits to the person making them but will benefit future generations. It emphasizes the importance of long-term planning and considering the well-being of one's descendants.

Tone

Origin

This proverb has its roots in English folklore and agriculture, where planting walnut and pear trees was seen as an investment for the future due to their long maturation periods. Similar sayings include "Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in", emphasizing actions taken for the benefit of future generations rather than oneself.