Plant Details

Mespilus germanica

Medlar

Back

Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Mespilus germanica.

Use this plant

Log in to add this plant to your recipes.

Log in

Common names

35 names · 30 languages
EnglishYour language
Other languages (29)
Dutch
French
  • Nèfle
  • Néflier commun[2]
Arabic
  • زعرور بستاني[2]
  • زعرور جرماني[2]
Armenian
  • Զկեռնի գերմանական[2]
Asturian
Bulgarian
  • Мушмула[2]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • mišpule obecná[2]
Danish
Finnish
German
Gilaki
  • کونوس، کُنوس[2]
Hungarian
Italian
  • Nespolo comune[2]
Japanese
  • セイヨウカリン[2]
Lithuanian
  • Baltažiedė šliandra[2]
Luxembourgish
Mazanderani
  • کِنِس، کندس[2]
Persian
  • ازگیل[2]
Polish
  • Nieszpułka jadalna[2]
  • Nieszpułka zwyczajna[2]
Portuguese
  • Nespereira-da-Pérsia[2]
Russian
  • Мушмула германская[2]
Slovak
  • mišpuľa obyčajná[2]
Spanish
  • níspero europeo[2]
Swedish
Talysh
  • فَتَر[2]
Turkish
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Crataegus germanica (L.) K.Koch ex Kuntze ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Echte Mispel (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 171939; taxon KZY7R.
  • Medlar (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 171940; taxon KZY7R.
[2] Crataegus germanica — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • 欧楂 — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • 歐楂 — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Զկեռնի գերմանական — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Mispel — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Echte Mispel — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Nespolo comune — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Néflier commun — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Мушмула германская — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Mispel — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • mispel — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Nespereira-da-Pérsia — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Carapanal — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • زعرور جرماني — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • mišpule obecná — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Medlar — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Mispel — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • セイヨウカリン — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Mispel — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • زعرور بستاني — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Aaspel — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Baltažiedė šliandra — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Nieszpułka zwyczajna — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Nieszpułka jadalna — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • naspolya — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • níspero europeo — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Mispeli — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Muşmula — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • mišpuľa obyčajná — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • ازگیل — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • کونوس، کُنوس — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • کِنِس، کندس — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • فَتَر — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Nesprer — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.
  • Мушмула — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 1367002; Crataegus germanica.

General information

Scientific name: Mespilus germanica
Accepted name (Kew): Crataegus germanica View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited taxonomic treatment. Botanical references may use alternative names.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Rosaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Mespilus (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Medlar
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Fruit tree
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 6.00 m
Spread: 6.00 m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Deciduous

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 5-8
Soil moisture:
Moist, Well-drained

Preferred growing conditions. Moisture and drainage are different properties; well-drained soil is not necessarily dry.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Sand (light) Loam (medium) Clay (heavy)
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Partial shade, Full sun

Uses

Edible parts:
Fruit
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(1)
Functions:
Wood

Description

Medlar is a deciduous small tree or large shrub. In the UK, fruit is usually collected in late autumn and allowed to soften through bletting before its flesh is eaten raw or cooked. Keep fruits apart in cool, ventilated storage; use the softened flesh after removing the skin and seeds.

Sources [3] [4]

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/10
Harvest ends: 30/11

Crown

Crown shape: Broad pyramidal
Crown density: Dense crown

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: TaxonomyBotanical family
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: WCVP version 16, wcvp_names.csv: Crataegus germanica (L.) Kuntze, name ID 2945635, row 1436074; Mespilus germanica L., name ID 2951312, row 1436077
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 1435836; name ID 2951162; Mespilus L.. Family column.

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Mespilus germanica

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 2322581, ID 6RBGS: Mespilus germanica L. (synonym). Accepted target: Crataegus germanica (L.) K.Koch ex Kuntze, ID KZY7R, line 4968676.

    Source checked on .

  3. Royal Horticultural Society Mespilus germanica (F) | common medlar
    Supports: DescriptionSoil moisture
    Relevant sections
    • Description: Description; Foliage; Cultivation; Potentially harmful, where applicable
    • Soil moisture: Growing conditions: Moisture; Cultivation

    Source checked on .

  4. Royal Horticultural Society How to grow medlars
    Supports: Description
    Relevant sections
    • Description: Growing guide; choosing varieties, planting, harvesting and storing sections as applicable

    Source checked on .