Why did God put the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden with Adam and Eve?

The tree was there to give them a choice—obedience or disobedience. If they wouldn’t have been given a choice, they would not have been free, able to make any decisions. There was actually nothing evil about the tree or the fruit—it was just off limits. But the disobedience that took place when they ate the fruit was a sin because they disobeyed God, and their sin brought evil into the world. In no way did God want Adam and Eve to sin, but He did want them to have a choice whether or not to obey.