| Description |
The Medlar is a large deciduous shrub or small tree in the Rose family that produces fruits of the same name. Medlar are native to southwest Asia and southeastern Europe and have been cultivated since at least Roman times. They are distantly related to loquats. The Medlar is unique in that fruit are ready for harvest in the winter and are only eaten once bletted, or overripe (like quince and persimmons). Trees have a spreading canopy, dark green elliptical leaves that turn yellow or red in the fall, and white hermaphrodite flowers with 5 petals. Medlar are self-pollinating and can live for 30-50 years. They need warm summers, mild winters, and sunny, dry locations. Fruit are 2-3cm in diameter, contain 2-3 hard stones, and have an indented calyx. They can be left on the tree to ripen until after a frost, or harvested while underripe and left at room temperature, calyx down, to ripen in 1-3 weeks. When bletted, the fruit appears spoiled - it has wrinkled dark brown skin and the flesh takes on the consistency of apple sauce. Bletted fruit are eaten raw or used to make jelly or wine. Transplanted saplings bear fruit in 3-5 years. Germination from seed can take 2 years.
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