Tree · Rosaceae
Medlar
Mespilus germanica
A slow, hardy fruit tree that asks for barely anything 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
The medlar is one of those old fruit trees that used to fill European orchards and somehow slipped out of fashion, which is a shame because it's a good one. It's in the rose family with apples and pears, and it grows into a small, spreading tree of 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 m) that throws out big white-to-pink blossom in late spring. After that come the russet-brown fruits, and they look like little flat-bottomed apples wearing an open crown.
Here's the fun part: you don't eat it like a normal fruit. Straight off the tree it's rock hard and so astringent it puckers your mouth, and it only turns good once it's had a chance to blett. That's a slow softening from frost or storage that leaves the flesh brown, sweet, and rich, somewhere around spiced apple butter or dates. Basically, the tree runs on its own clock and you just go along with it.
For a gardener it's about as easy as they come. Medlar is hardy down to -20°F (-29°C), self-fertile so one tree crops just fine on its own, slow-growing, and it hardly ever gets bothered by pests or disease. Give it some sun and half-decent soil and it'll happily outlast you.
Care
The short version: plant it in full sun in moist, fertile, well-drained loam, water deeply during dry spells and while the fruit's filling out, and just prune it lightly in late winter. Once it's settled in, it's a low-fuss, cold-hardy tree.
Light
Medlar flowers and fruits best in full sun, though it'll cope with a bit of part shade. Not enough light is one of the big reasons a young tree stays shy of blossom, so give it the brightest spot you've got.
Water
Once it's established, the tree wants moderate, even moisture and handles a fair range of soils after its roots are down. Water it deeply through dry spells and while the fruit's swelling. In between, just let the top half of the soil dry out instead of keeping it soggy.
Soil
Plant it in moist, fertile, well-drained loam for the best growth, but don't stress if your ground isn't perfect, because medlar copes either way. A soil pH anywhere from 6.0 to 7.5 suits it, so slightly acidic to slightly alkaline is all fine.
Temperature
This is a genuinely tough, cold-hardy tree that takes winter lows down to -20°F (-29°C) and summer heat up to 95°F (35°C). And the frost it shrugs off? That's actually what kicks off the bletting, so cold weather is a plus, not a problem.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor air is all it needs, roughly 40% to 70%, and there's really no number to fuss over. Damp, still conditions only matter because they can invite leaf spot, so airflow is the thing to keep in mind.
Feeding
One balanced feed in spring is plenty for most trees, applied seasonally. Go easy, though, because heavy nitrogen just pushes leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fruit.
Pruning
Prune in late winter while the tree's dormant, taking out any dead, damaged, or crossing branches to keep an open shape. Medlar fruits on spurs and only needs light pruning once it's established, so there's no need to go at it hard.
Repotting
Medlar is really a tree for the ground and gets rarely repotted. If you're keeping a young one in a container, just move it on when the roots start circling, 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 open out to its full 15 to 20 foot (4.5 to 6 m) canopy so it isn't crowded.
When to plant
Medlar runs on a long, easygoing calendar. Get bare-root or container trees in the ground while they're dormant, anywhere from late autumn into early spring. Blossom shows up in late spring, and the fruit hangs on well past leaf drop, ready to pick in late autumn once the first frosts have kicked off 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
Honestly, medlar gives you very little to worry about, and most of its quirks come down to the fruit's weird ripening rather than any actual disease. Find what matches what you're seeing below and you can usually sort it with a bit of timing or a small tweak to how you're caring for it.
Young tree that barely flowers or fruits
Nine times out of ten it's just a young tree doing its thing, because medlars are self-fertile and usually start cropping by their second year, then pick up as they fill out. The other likely culprit is too much shade. Move it into full sun, ease off the nitrogen feed that pushes leaves instead of flowers, and let it grow up.
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 that stays hard and puckers your mouth
Bite into a medlar too soon and it's rock hard and dries out your mouth, and that's just the tannins hanging around. So what fixes it? Bletting does. Pick the fruit in late autumn after leaf fall and the first frosts, then tuck it somewhere cool, dark, and airy for two to three weeks until the flesh goes 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-spotted leaves falling too soon
Medlar barely bothers with pests and diseases, so if the leaves are covered in spots it's usually a fungal leaf spot that's crept into wet, crowded growth. Rake up the fallen leaves and bin them so the spores can't come back next year, open the canopy up for airflow, and try to keep water off the leaves.
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 house. People eat the bletted flesh, it's harmless to pets and grazing animals, and there's no toxic foliage or sap to worry about. The one small thing, and it's the same as with apples, pears, and other rose-family fruit, is that the seeds hold a cyanide compound, so they shouldn't be crushed and eaten in any quantity.
Safe for
People · Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
Cats Safe
Cats mostly can't be bothered, and if one does taste the soft flesh, no harm done. The only thing worth watching is a cat crunching through a heap of the hard seeds.
Dogs Safe
A bit of bletted flesh makes a perfectly harmless dog treat. Just don't let one chew through mouthfuls of crushed seeds, since those carry the same cyanide compound you'll find all over the rose family.
Horses Safe
The tree and its ripe fruit aren't any real danger to horses. The one thing to keep an eye on is large amounts of chewed seeds.
Rabbits Safe
Rabbits can nibble the leaves and a bit of soft flesh no problem. Like any treat, though, fruit should stay a small part of what they eat.
Livestock Safe
Cattle, goats, and sheep graze around medlar without getting poisoned. The only catch is the seeds inside windfall fruit, and only if loads of them get crushed and swallowed.
Birds Safe
Garden birds love pecking the ripe fruit, and the flesh is totally fine for them. They're smart enough to leave the hard seeds alone.
People Safe
Bletted medlar is a sweet, wholesome treat, soft and brown like spiced apple butter. Same as with apples and other rose-family fruit, just skip the seeds instead of 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
There aren't many medlar cultivars grown these days, but the ones that are go from small and super aromatic all the way to giant-fruited. These are the names worth keeping an eye out for.
Nottingham
An old favourite that stays pretty upright and compact, loved for its smaller, richly aromatic fruit.
Royal
A dependable heavy cropper that gives you medium-sized fruit with a really good flavour.
Breda Giant
A Dutch pick from the giant-fruited type, grown for its big fruit and its lovely autumn leaf colour.
Large Russian
A vigorous one that turns out some of the biggest fruit you'll get on any medlar.
How to propagate
Medlar isn't a tree you can just multiply on a whim. Named varieties get grafted so they come true, and seed is a slow, hit-or-miss route that really tests your 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 nearly always grafted or budded onto quince, pear, or hawthorn rootstocks, so they come true and the grower can keep the tree's vigour in check. You'd bench graft in late winter to early spring, or bud in summer, and figure on 1 to 2 years before you've got a young tree worth planting out.
SeedDemanding
Autumn, after prolonged cold stratification · Several years to first fruiting
Want to grow from seed? Be ready to wait. The seed needs a long run of cold stratification sown in autumn, comes up slowly and all over the place, and the seedlings won't match the parent anyway. Expect several years before one of them flowers and fruits.
Myths
Medlars are rotten or spoiled once they get soft enough to eat.
That softening is bletting, a normal part of ripening where the tannins fade and starch turns to sugar. Properly bletted fruit is soft, sweet, and totally safe, not spoiled, even if it looks like it's gone past its best.
You need two medlar trees for them to set fruit.
Nope, one tree does the job 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 second tree just to pollinate it.
Medlar fruit can be eaten straight off the tree like an apple.
Freshly picked fruit is hard and so astringent it dries your mouth right out. It's got to blett first, softened by frost or a few weeks in storage, before the flesh turns brown and actually tastes good.