Tree · Rosaceae
Medlar
Mespilus germanica
A slow, hardy fruit tree that asks for little and ripens 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 one of the old fruit trees, grown in European orchards for centuries and now far less common than it deserves. It belongs to the rose family, alongside apples and pears, and makes a small, spreading tree of 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 m) with large white-to-pink blossom in late spring. The russet-brown fruit that follows looks like a small, flat-bottomed apple crowned by an open calyx.
What sets the medlar apart is how you eat it. The fruit is rock hard and harshly astringent straight off the tree, and only becomes good after bletting, a slow softening by frost or storage that turns the flesh brown, sweet, and rich, somewhere between spiced apple butter and dates. It is a tree that runs on its own clock.
For the gardener it is an easy keeper. Medlar is hardy down to -20°F (-29°C), self-fertile so a single tree crops on its own, slow-growing, and rarely troubled by pests or disease. Give it sun and decent soil and it will outlast you.
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 fruits and flowers best in full sun, though it will take part shade. Too little light is one of the main reasons a young tree stays shy of blossom, 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 are down. Water deeply through dry spells and while the fruit is swelling. 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 best growth, but medlar copes with less than ideal 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 also what kicks off bletting, so cold weather is a feature, not a problem.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor air suits it, roughly 40% to 70% humidity, and there's no figure to fuss over. Damp, still conditions only matter because they can invite leaf spot, so airflow is the thing to watch.
Feeding
A single balanced feed in spring is plenty for most trees, applied seasonally. Go light, since heavy nitrogen pushes leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fruit.
Pruning
Prune in late winter while the tree is dormant, taking out dead, damaged, or crossing branches to keep an open framework. Medlar fruits on spurs and needs only light pruning once it is established, so resist the urge to cut hard.
Repotting
Medlar is a tree for the ground and is rarely repotted. If you do keep a young one 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. Give it room to spread to its full 15 to 20 foot (4.5 to 6 m) canopy without crowding.
When to plant
Medlar runs on a long, patient calendar. Plant bare-root or container trees while they're dormant, from late autumn into early spring. Blossom opens in late spring, and the fruit hangs on well past leaf drop, ready to pick 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 fruit's odd ripening rather than to any disease. Match what you see below and you can usually set it right with timing or a small change in care.
A young tree that flowers and fruits poorly
Most often the tree is simply still too young, since medlars are self-fertile and usually start cropping by their second year, then bear more heavily as they fill out. Too much shade is the other common cause. Move it into full sun, go easy on nitrogen feed that pushes leaves over flowers, and give it time.
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
Fruit stays hard and mouth-puckeringly sour
Picked too early, a medlar is rock hard and so astringent it dries out your mouth, because the tannins haven't broken down yet. The fix is bletting. Harvest in late autumn after leaf fall and the first frosts, then hold the fruit somewhere cool, dark, and airy for two to three weeks until the flesh turns soft, brown, and sweet.
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
Brown spots on the leaves with early leaf drop
Medlar shrugs off most pests and diseases, so widespread spotting usually points to a fungal leaf spot that takes hold in wet, crowded growth. Rake up and bin the fallen leaves so spores don't carry over, thin the canopy for better airflow, and keep water off the foliage.
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 bletted flesh is eaten by people and harmless to pets and grazing animals, and the tree carries no toxic foliage or sap. The one minor note, shared with apples, pears, and other rose-family fruit, is that the seeds hold a cyanide compound and shouldn't be crushed and eaten in quantity.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Cats rarely show any interest, and the soft flesh does them no harm if they do taste it. The only thing to watch is a cat crunching through a pile of the hard seeds.
Dogs Safe
A bit of bletted flesh is a harmless treat for a dog. Just don't let one gnaw mouthfuls of crushed seeds, which carry the same cyanide compound found across the rose family.
Horses Safe
The tree and its ripe fruit pose no real danger to horses. Keep an eye out only for large amounts of chewed seeds.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble the leaves and a little soft flesh without trouble. As with any treat, fruit should stay a small part of their diet.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep graze around medlar without poisoning. The only caution is the seeds inside windfall fruit if a great many are crushed and swallowed.
Birds Safe
Garden birds happily peck the ripe fruit, and the flesh is fine for them. They leave the hard seeds alone.
People Safe
Bletted medlar is a sweet, wholesome treat, soft and brown like spiced apple butter. As with apple and other rose-family fruit, skip the seeds rather than crushing and eating them.
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 grown today, but they range from small and intensely flavoured to giant-fruited. These are the names worth looking for.
Nottingham
An old favourite that stays fairly upright and compact, prized for its smaller, richly aromatic fruit.
Royal
A reliable, heavy cropper bearing medium-sized fruit of good flavour.
Breda Giant
A Dutch selection of the giant-fruited type, grown for its large fruit and fine autumn leaf colour.
Large Russian
A vigorous form that produces some of the biggest fruit of any medlar.
How to propagate
Medlar is not a tree you multiply on a whim. Named varieties are grafted to 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 you have a young tree worth planting out.
SeedDemanding
Autumn, after prolonged cold stratification · Several years to first fruiting
Growing from seed tests your patience. The seed needs a long spell of cold stratification sown in autumn, germinates slowly and unevenly, and the seedlings don't come true to the parent. Expect several years before one of them flowers and fruits.
Myths
Medlars are rotten or spoiled when they are soft enough to eat.
The softening is bletting, a normal stage of ripening where tannins fade and starch turns to sugar. Properly bletted fruit is soft, sweet, and perfectly safe, not spoiled, even though it looks like it has gone over.
You need two medlar trees for pollination to set fruit.
A single tree crops fine on its own. Medlar is self-fertile and often starts bearing by its second year, so there's no need to find room for a pollination partner.
Medlar fruit can be eaten straight off the tree like an apple.
Freshly picked fruit is hard and so astringent it dries out your mouth. It has to blett first, softened by frost or by a few weeks in storage, before the flesh turns brown and palatable.