Seasonal Wild Flowers

Medlar

Mespilus germanica

Rosaceae

March to April

It is planted in gardens, parks and amenity orchards

throughout the country.

Wild, naturalised shrubs are thinly scattered and mainly in

the South.

See the BSBBI distribution map for Medlar

It is an archaeophyte which has been grown in England

since the 10th century and has been known in the wild

since the 1500s.

It is probably bird-sown and occasionally occurs in

woods and hedges.

It is also a relic plant and is found in derelict gardens

and brownfield sites.

In the wild, Medlar is a thorny shrub growing to 2-3m.

In cultivation, it grows up to 6m and does not have thorns.

The flowers (2-3 cm across) are pink in bud and white

when open.

The anthers are an attractive mauve.

Leaves are dark green, conspicuously veined and slightly

crinkly.

The fruits are brown and supposedly, edible.

Flowering twig

Close-up of flowers

Thorns

Fruit - side view

Fruit - from above