SC - Medlars-Actual info
LrdRas at aol.com
LrdRas at aol.com
Mon Sep 6 18:56:04 PDT 1999
Here are some Medlar sources:
This site gives a complete description of the plant, growth habits, fruit
production, harvest and usage, as well as a picture of the fruit which
resembles a large rosehip.
http://www.efn.org/%7Ebsharvy/edible6.html#Medlar
QUOTE:
Medlar (Mespilus germanica)
Categories
USDA Zones: (4)567(8)
Plant Type: Tree
Yield: ?
Storable: 1 month
Bears: 4-6 yrs
Shape: Mounded
Height: 10-25ft
Spread: 7-15ft
Lifespan: Very long
Growth: ?
Pruning: Optional
Origin: Europe
Food Type: Fruit,
Appearance: Flowers, fall color, Ornamental,
Uses: Fresh, cooked
Misc. Features: Self-productive,
Prefers: -
Rejects: Part-shade,Poor soil,
Problems: [MINIMAL],
Cycles: Summer bloom,Late harvest
Harvest & Use
Pick fruit when leaves begin to fall. Fruits are hard when ripe and must sit
off the tree for a few weeks to soften and sweeten. The fruit will be mushy
brown (rotten-looking, basically) when ready to eat; flavor is described as
rich, cidery and wine-like.
Appearance
The wide pink-white flowers are showy and late-arriving, just like a movie
star. The green leaves are downy, dull, and dark, turning yellow with fall.
The rust-colored fruits resemble small apples. The medlar grows to 20' with a
crooked look and informal air. It is attractive with other shrubs or as a
specimen tree.
Cultivation
The medlar grows poorly in frost-free areas, and in poor soils. Propagation
is usually by grafting onto quince, Hawthorne, or pear (Reich).
Comment
The medlar has been cultivated in Europe for millennia, particularly by the
French, reaching a popular peak during the Middle Ages. It now grows wild
over much of Europe and southern Great Britain, but Authorities place its
origin either in central Europe, or around the Caspian Sea.
Cultivars of Repute
Dutch, Macrocarpa (large fruit), Nottingham, Royal
General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Grigson [R,L]
* Reich [C, L]
* Simmons [C, L]
Ras
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