Scientific Name:
Mespilus germanica
Pronunciation:
MES-pe-lus jer-MAN-ih-kuh
Common Name:
medlar
Family Name:
Rosaceae
Plant Type:
Shrub - deciduous, Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Rounded, course textured shrub or tree, up to 6m tall; leaves mostly elliptic, up to 17cm long x 7 wide; flowers with 5 petals, white with pinkish tinge; pomes brown, up to 3cm wide.
Habit:
Spreading, Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Coarse
Mature Height:
3 - 5m
Mature Spread:
3 - 4m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 5: (-29 to -23 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Humus rich, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract beneficial insects, Attract birds, Fall interest, Fragrance, Herb, Mixed shrub border, Reclamation, Spring interest, Urban agriculture, Wildlife food, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivrs shown may include M. 'Breda Giant'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Pubescent
Colour in Summer:
Bluish, Green
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Orange, Red
Shapes:
Lanceolate, Oblong
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Serrulate
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour, Coarsely toothed on upper half leaf margin
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Colour (petals):
Showy, White
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun
Fruit Type:
Edible, Pome
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
Not showy, Edible, Used in commercial fruit productrion
Bark Morphology:
Plated
Bark or Stem Colour:
Dark Grey, Red
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid (Distinctive smell)
Organ Modifications:
Stipule, leafy, stipules deciduous
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
(Pest resistant, Disease resistant)
