Medlar Tree (Mespilus germanica)

Medlar Tree (Mespilus germanica)Medlar Tree (Mespilus germanica) The Medlar tree is slow growing, small and attractive, with cascades of beautiful white Quincelike flowers. It's the last fruit tree to flower, into late May. Self fertile, it will grow well in most soils and conditions and has an attractive habit, which with its masses of pretty white blossom makes it a lovely garden tree. Medlars are easy to grow too, and produce edible fruit. History It seems medlars might have come

Medlar Tree (Mespilus germanica)

The Medlar tree is slow growing, small and attractive, with cascades of beautiful white Quincelike flowers. It's the last fruit tree to flower, into late May. Self fertile, it will grow well in most soils and conditions and has an attractive habit, which with its masses of pretty white blossom makes it a lovely garden tree. Medlars are easy to grow too, and produce edible fruit.

History

It seems medlars might have come to the UK with the Romans. They were popular here in the Middle Ages and among the Victorians, although now they're much rarer. They were certainly well known to Anglo Saxons, who knew the fruit by various names, some unrepeatable... Shakespeare certainly knew about them; Mercutio didn't hold back on the topic in Romeo and Juliet - gentle reader, look away now:

Now will he sit under a medlar tree

And wish his mistress were that kind of fruit

As maids call medlars, when they laugh alone.

O Romeo, that she were, O that she were

An open-arse and thou a poperin pear.

Medlars also appear in Chaucer and Cervantes, and feature in Culpeper's 17th century Herbal. They were supposedly a curative for a range of ailment from kidney stone to - I suppose inevitably - piles.

Uses

Medlar fruit generally has to be bletted before use - left to soften after picking. It makes interesting jelly and chutney, and will also make very tasty "cheese". Medlars also make a very good sticky toffee pudding . Good eating for the birds too.

Plants For Sale

We offer a number of cultivars:

• 'Bredase Reus': Dutch variety
• 'Macrocarpa': Large fruit, good cropping.
• 'Nottingham': Compact and popular garden variety, will produce fruit on young trees, but some say of poorer quality than some other cultivars.
• 'Original': Reliable cropping and nameless clone, grown in Britain for many years.
• 'Royal': Smaller fruit than 'Nottingham', but seemingly better flavoured.
  
• 'Westerveld': Dutch cultivar

Supplier : R.V. Roger Ltd.

All our fruit trees are bare root, so they are only available between November and April. During lifting season, there will be a delay between placing the order and dispatching due to pressure of orders, which are dealt with in date sequence, and the weather. Orders taken from June-October will be confirmed in late October/ early November after a nursery stock take, for dispatch from November. Please consult our planting and care guide on receipt of your order.

Your purchase helps us support a range of charities, which are related to the products we sell.

Have a look at our videos on what to do when your plants arrive and how to plant a bare root tree.