Tree · Rosaceae
Medlar
Mespilus germanica
A slow, hardy fruit tree of russet-brown pomes that sweeten only after the first frosts.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 5–8
15–20 ft · 4.6–6.1 m
Overview
Medlar is an old orchard tree of the rose family, kin to the apple and the pear, and it has a face all its own. It grows into a small, spreading tree of 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 m), and in late spring the branches open large blossom washed from white into pink, single flowers sitting wide against the leaves. Look closely and the family likeness to apple blossom is plain, though these blooms are broader and paler.
The fruit is the strangest thing on the tree. Each one is russet-brown and shaped like a small, flat-bottomed apple, its base flaring open into a ragged calyx crown, so it looks less like a fruit than a little brown lantern with its mouth agape. Split one fresh and the flesh inside is firm and pale, gripping the tongue with tannin. Only after bletting does that pale flesh darken and slump into a soft, brown pulp, sweet and rich, close to spiced apple butter or dates.
The rest of the tree wears its age well. Medlar is hardy down to -20°F (-29°C), self-fertile so a single tree loads its own branches, slow-growing, and rarely marked by pests or disease. Give it sun and decent soil and its low, wide crown will stand for a very long time.
Care
The short version: plant in full sun in moist, fertile, well-drained loam, water deeply during dry spells and while the fruit fills, and prune only lightly in late winter. It is a low-maintenance, cold-hardy tree once established.
Light
Medlar sets its broad, pale blossom and its russet fruit best in full sun, though it will take part shade. Too little light is one of the main reasons a young tree stays sparse of bloom, so give it the brightest spot you can.
Water
Established trees want moderate, even moisture and tolerate a fair range of soils once their roots have spread. Water deeply through dry spells and while the fruit is swelling on the branch. Between waterings, let the top half of the soil dry out rather than keeping it soggy.
Soil
Plant in moist, fertile, well-drained loam for the strongest growth, though medlar copes with poorer ground. A soil pH anywhere from 6.0 to 7.5 suits it, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline.
Temperature
This is a genuinely cold-hardy tree, taking winter lows to -20°F (-29°C) and summer heat up to 95°F (35°C). The frost it shrugs off is the very thing that browns and softens the fruit, so cold weather does the tree a favour.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor air suits it, roughly 40% to 70%, with no figure to fuss over. Damp, still air matters only because it can spot the leaves with fungus, so airflow around the canopy is the thing to watch.
Feeding
A single balanced feed in spring, applied seasonally, is plenty for most trees. Keep it light, since heavy nitrogen pushes out leafy growth at the expense of the blossom and fruit.
Pruning
Prune in late winter while the tree is bare and dormant, taking out dead, damaged, or crossing branches to keep an open, spreading framework. Medlar fruits on short spurs and needs only light pruning once established, so resist cutting hard.
Repotting
Medlar is a tree for open ground and is rarely repotted. If a young one is grown in a container, move it on when roots circle the pot, water runs straight through, or growth stalls.
Size & spacing
Expect a small, spreading tree of 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 m) tall and about as wide, its crown low and broad. Give it room to open to its full 15 to 20 foot (4.5 to 6 m) spread without crowding.
When to plant
Medlar keeps a long, patient calendar written across the seasons. Bare-root or container trees go in while dormant, from late autumn into early spring. The pale blossom opens in late spring, and the russet fruit clings on well past leaf drop, ready to gather in late autumn once the first frosts have started the bletting.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Plant bare-root or container trees in late autumn to early spring while dormant.
- Harvest: Blooms in late spring (about May to June); fruit is harvested in late autumn after leaf drop and first frosts, then bletted before eating.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–8
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Medlar gives a grower very little to worry about, and most of its quirks trace back to the strange ripening of the fruit rather than to any disease. Match what you see below, right down to the colour and feel of the flesh, and a change of timing or a small tweak in care usually sets it right.
Few blossoms and little fruit on a young tree
A bare scatter of white-to-pink blossom usually means the tree is still young, since medlars are self-fertile and usually start cropping by their second year, then crowd the branches more thickly as they fill out. Deep shade is the other cause. A move into full sun, with only light nitrogen feed so leaves do not smother the flower buds, tips the balance back toward blossom.
Fix:
- Be patient and allow the tree to mature
- Site or move the tree to a position with full sun
- Avoid heavy nitrogen feeding that favours leaves over flowers
Hard, pale fruit that puckers the mouth
Cut open too soon, a medlar shows firm, pale flesh that grips the tongue and dries the mouth, all because the tannins have not broken down yet. Bletting is what changes it. Pick in late autumn after leaf fall and the first frosts, then rest the fruit somewhere cool, dark, and airy for two to three weeks, and the pale flesh darkens to a soft, sweet brown.
Fix:
- Harvest in late autumn after leaf fall and the first frosts
- Store fruit in a cool, dark, airy place for two to three weeks until the flesh turns soft and brown
- Eat or process only once the flesh is soft and sweet
Circular brown spots marking the leaves
Round brown lesions spreading across the foliage, on a tree that shrugs off most trouble, usually mark a fungal leaf spot that has taken hold in wet, crowded growth. Rake up and remove the spotted fallen leaves so the spores do not carry over, thin the canopy so air slips between the branches, and keep water off the leaf surfaces.
Fix:
- Rake up and remove fallen leaves
- Prune to improve air circulation
- Avoid overhead watering
Toxicity
Medlar is a safe tree to have around the home. The soft brown flesh is eaten by people and is harmless to pets and grazing animals, and the leaves and sap carry nothing toxic. The one small note, shared with apples, pears, and other rose-family fruit, is that the hard seeds hold a cyanide compound and should not be crushed and eaten in quantity.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Cats rarely give the fruit a glance, and a lick of the soft brown flesh does them no harm. The one thing to watch is a cat crunching through a pile of the hard, stony seeds.
Dogs Safe
A scoop of the soft, bletted flesh is a harmless treat for a dog. Keep it from the hard seeds, though, which crush open to release the same cyanide compound carried across the rose family.
Horses Safe
The leaves and the ripe brown fruit pose no real danger to horses. The only thing to watch is a horse taking in large amounts of the chewed seeds.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble the leaves and a little of the soft flesh without trouble. As with any treat, the fruit is best kept a small part of their diet.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep graze around medlar without poisoning. The only caution is the hard seeds inside windfall fruit, and only where a great many are crushed and swallowed.
Birds Safe
Garden birds peck happily at the ripe, softened fruit, and the brown flesh is fine for them. They leave the hard seeds alone.
People Safe
Bletted medlar is a sweet, wholesome treat, its flesh soft and brown like spiced apple butter. As with apple and other rose-family fruit, the hard seeds are set aside rather than crushed and eaten.
The soft, bletted flesh is edible; avoid letting pets or children chew or swallow large numbers of crushed seeds.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
United Kingdom
Animal PoisonLine: 01202 509000 (fee applies)
Australia
Animal Poisons Helpline: 1300 869 738
Varieties
Only a handful of medlar cultivars are still grown, but they range from small, aromatic fruit to great swollen giants. These are the names worth looking for.
Nottingham
An old favourite of fairly upright, compact form, carrying smaller fruit packed with a rich aroma.
Royal
A reliable, heavy cropper hung with medium-sized fruit of good flavour.
Breda Giant
A Dutch selection of the giant-fruited type, grown for its large fruit and the fine colour its leaves take on in autumn.
Large Russian
A vigorous form that swells some of the biggest fruit found on any medlar.
How to propagate
Medlar is not a tree you multiply on a whim. Named varieties are grafted so they come true, and seed is a slow, uncertain route that rewards real patience.
GraftingDemanding
Late winter to early spring for bench grafting, or summer for budding · 1 to 2 years to a young, sellable tree
Named cultivars are almost always grafted or budded onto quince, pear, or hawthorn rootstocks, so they come true and the grower can hold the tree's vigour in check. Bench graft in late winter to early spring, or bud in summer, and reckon on 1 to 2 years before a slender young tree is worth planting out.
SeedDemanding
Autumn, after prolonged cold stratification · Several years to first fruiting
Seed grown medlars test the patience. The hard seed needs a long spell of cold stratification sown in autumn, breaks ground slowly and unevenly, and the seedlings do not come true to the parent. Expect several years before one of them carries its first blossom and fruit.
Myths
Medlars are rotten or spoiled once they are soft enough to eat.
That softening is bletting, a normal stage of ripening where the tannins fade and starch turns to sugar. The brown, yielding flesh is soft, sweet, and perfectly safe, not spoiled, even though the wrinkled, darkened fruit looks like it has gone over.
You need two medlar trees for pollination to set fruit.
A single tree fills its own branches with fruit. Medlar is self-fertile and often begins bearing by its second year, so there is no need to plant a second tree as a pollination partner.
Medlar fruit can be eaten straight off the tree like an apple.
Freshly picked fruit is hard and pale inside, so astringent it dries the mouth. It has to blett first, softening under frost or a few weeks in storage until the pale flesh turns brown and palatable.