As already mentioned, medlar is divided into German and Japanese. The first species was grown back in the 20th century BC. At the same time, it was grown in ancient Babylon.
About the plant
And yet, what is a German medlar ? It is a shrub or tree, reaching a height of 2-6 meters, with spiny branches. Medlar blooms in single flowers with red stamens and white petals, which open at the end of spring, you can admire them throughout May.
German medlar is the only representative of its kind. It can be found in the Crimean mountains and light forests, and it is considered a food and ornamental plant.
Now we will understand what a medlar is Japanese. This evergreen tree, or shrub, can also reach a height of no more than six meters. The leaves and inflorescences, which are located as a panicle pyramid at the top of the shoot, have an initially thick red pubescence, which subsequently becomes reddish-gray.
The Japanese medlar is also called "lokva", and its homeland (despite the name) is not Japan, but China. Today, the plant is most common in Asia, although you can find it in the private gardens of amateur gardeners.
Speaking briefly about what medlar is, it can be noted that this is a plant (shrub or tree) that gives soft fruits, inside of which there are two or three seeds (like a plum or a peach). In fresh form they are most often processed, but if they are left for storage, then they are eaten in a soaked or raw form, in particular, syrups, jams, juices, preserves, compotes, pastille, jam, etc. are prepared from them. Moreover, medlar can be used not only in the food industry, but also in medicine. Its fruits perfectly improve digestion and strengthen the intestines. Decoctions are prepared from immature fruits and used as a remedy that helps with inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract and in case of urolithiasis.
Growing
Medlar, the cultivation of which, as it turned out, is made not only with the aim of obtaining an edible product, is also useful with its leaves. When flowering, they are collected and a decoction is prepared, which has an excellent hemostatic effect. It can also be used to gargle with a cold.
It was said above that medlar is a fruit, how to grow it will be described later. This plant is able to bear fruit annually, even in indoor conditions. In the room it is placed not far from the window, while it should be kept at a moderate temperature and high humidity. Watering is done as the soil dries, sometimes you should spray the leaves. In the warm season, the room where the medlar is contained should be ventilated.
During growth, flowering and the appearance of fruits, fertilizing with mineral fertilizer is necessary.
Breeding
The plant can propagate by cuttings, seeds and grafting. If the first method is chosen, it is necessary to use lignified cuttings for this, on which there are leaves. When breeding with seeds, it should be remembered that they quickly lose their germination, for example, if they were taken in the spring, during the summer they must be stored in the refrigerator and planted in the fall.
We hope that after reading the above information the question of what medlar is will disappear by itself.