Medlar
Mespilus germanica
Also called Common medlar and Medlar 'Nottingham'
Garden plant · TreesA small crooked tree with a big single white flower in May and a fruit that is not ready when it is picked — leave medlars on a shelf until they go soft and brown, which is called bletting and is not rot.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Once a weekWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun to partial shade
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 5 m tall · 5 m across
- Lifecycle
- Tree
- Origin
- South-west Asia and south-east Europe, long naturalised
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-21. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.