MEDLAR

19th February 2024

QUOTATION

I’ll graft it with you, and then I shall graft it

with a medlar. Then it will be the earliest fruit

i’ th’ country, for you’ll be rotten ere you be

half ripe, and that’s the right virtue of the medlar.

ROSALIND: As You Like It, Act 3, Scene 2

MEDLAR (Crataegus (Mespilus) germanica)

Medlar is a fruit of the Rose family which used to be commonly grown in the UK but is now increasingly rare. Shakespeare refers to the ripening properties of the Medlar, which benefits from ‘bletting’ or allowing to ripen after harvesting. He also alludes to the sexual associations of Medlar’s which was once known as ‘open arse’ fruit because of its shape.

Medlars are native to Iran, Iraq, and the Caucasus area although they have been spread by cultivation for thousands of years. The Medlar has fallen out of favour more recently but the fruits can be eaten raw, cooked or made into jellies.

More Information

Folger Shakespeare Library: Search Shakespeare’s Works

Kew Plants of the World Online: Crataegus germanica

Old Varieties: Common Medlar