Mespilus germanica
Medlar
The small brown fruits it produces are only edible when “bletted” or left to turn half-rotten.
Available variants and pricing
Mespilus germanica
Height: 8-10cm
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Mespilus germanica
Height: 10-12cm
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Mespilus germanica
Height: 12-14cm
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Mespilus germanica
Height: 14-16cm
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Mespilus germanica
Height: 16-18cm
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Description
The Medlar has been in cultivation since early times, having been grown in the Emperor Charlemagne’s garden.
The small brown fruits it produces are only edible when “bletted” or left to turn half-rotten.
A small, gnarled, wide spreading tree which is at home in the garden, where it produces a rounded form. It has large, hairy leaves, which turn a russet brown in autumn, and large, white flowers borne in May and June.
There are some particularly interesting specimens in the Kitchen Garden at Grimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire that are mushroom shaped and well worth a visit in the summer.
Mature height: 3-5m
Mature spread: 3-5m
Specifications
Common names
Medlar
Mature size
Small
Tree type
Deciduous Broad Leaf
Soil type
Well drained soils, Will tolerate most soil types
Shape
Rounded
Tree features
Flowers, Fruit, Good for bees
Growth rate
Slow growing
Tree uses
Garden
Seasons of interest
Spring Interest, Autumn Interest