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Medlar of Japan: the tree with "bibasses"

2021-06-11T02:07:30.481Z


PLANT SHEET - This beautiful tree native to China is appreciated for its dense foliage and delicious orange fruits.


What are the origins of the Japanese medlar?

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Latin name:

Eriobotrya japonica

Botanical family:

Rosaceae such as apple, strawberry and hawthorn.

Main types:

Only two species of the genus

Eriobotrya

are cultivated in France.

These are

E.japonica

which we are

talking

about here and

E. deflexa

with pretty bronze colored leaves.

Origin

 : China (Hainan province).

Like many other plants, it was introduced to Japan several centuries ago where it acclimatized very well.

What are the uses of Japanese medlar?

The Japanese medlar is very appreciated for its orange fruits called medlars (or bibasses).

They are eaten raw, in jam or syrup.

How to recognize the Japanese medlar?

Also called bibacier, the Japanese medlar is also a beautiful ornamental tree with dense and persistent foliage not to be confused with the common medlar (

Mespilus germanica

), a rosacea like it, native to Turkey.

When adult, its crown, which can reach up to 6 m in height, provides dense shade in summer.

It has large lanceolate leaves, strongly veined and hairy on their underside.

The flowers appear in fragrant bouquets, surrounded by a cottony filling, at the end of the branches of the year.

Flowering period:

From December to February in metropolitan France, which makes fruiting uncertain in the event of frost.

Hardiness

 : Moderately resistant to cold (down to -10 ° C), the Japanese medlar was for a long time confined to southern regions.

Until the creation of new varieties more resistant to cold allowed it to be cultivated further north, in regions such as Île-de-France.

Fortunately, it lends itself very well to growing in large pots on a balcony or terrace, which helps protect its flowers in the event of frost.

Read also: How to make your garden bloom nine months out of twelve

How to cultivate it?

Difficulty level:

Undemanding plant, easy to grow

Soil

 :

E. japonica

adapts to any type of soil, even limestone, rather well drained, even dry.

Read also: How to measure the acidity of a soil?

Exposure

: Very sunny, sheltered from cold winds.

Sowing / planting

: Sowing is possible, but due to fertilization, one is never certain to reproduce the original.

In addition, it takes almost 10 years to see the first flowers and therefore the first fruits.

From this point of view, the transplant will give results more quickly, in 2 to 3 years.

Read also: Thirteen plants to keep mosquitoes away

Cultivation management

 : Due to its large dimensions once an adult, it is necessary to provide a sufficiently large space for planting.

Pruning, mainly training, must take place immediately after fruiting (between May and August depending on the variety) so as not to prevent the formation of flowers which are born on the wood of the year.

Common diseases and parasites

 : No enemy known to date.

Sheet produced by Alain Le Borgne, SNHF,

Ornamental Trees and Shrubs section.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2021-06-11

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