Wikimedia Commons
Rosaceae
Medlar Flower
Mespilus germanica
Patience and hidden reward.
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Genus
- Mespilus
- Native to
- Southeastern Europe, Southwestern Asia
- Bloom season
- Spring
- Type
- tree
- Height
- 10-25 ft
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- well-drained, fertile, loamy
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 5-8
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- Medlar fruit must undergo 'bletting' -- a controlled decomposition after frost -- before it becomes soft, sweet, and edible.
- Shakespeare mentioned medlars several times, often with bawdy humor, due to the fruit's unusual appearance.
- The large, single white flowers resemble wild roses and are among the most ornamental of any fruiting tree.
- Medlars were hugely popular in medieval Europe but fell out of fashion by the 18th century and are now considered a rare delicacy.
- Charlemagne ordered medlar trees planted in every imperial garden in his Capitulare de Villis decree of 812 AD.
Color meanings
0
patience
1
hidden worth
2
maturity