This medium-sized shrub can reach heights of 6 to 10 meters.

It is a hardy tree that can adapt to different types of soil. However, it prefers well-drained soils. It is also resistant to drought and extreme temperatures. It is often planted as an ornamental tree in gardens, but is also cultivated for its fruit in certain regions, such as Spain or in Italywhere medlar honey is very popular. It is mainly found in Belgium, Germany and northern France, as it can withstand harsh climates.

Its leaves are oval and toothed, and its bark is gray and smooth. Its bark is scaly.

Its white or pinkish flowers are around 3 cm in diameter and appear late at the end of May. They are highly melliferous and attract bees. When the bees are present, and all the conditions are right, the beekeeper can offer us honey from the medlar tree.

Its fruits, 2 to 3 cm in diameter, called medlars, are shaped like small pears: botanically speaking, they are similar to apples, pears or quinces. They also have persistent sepals at the top. In fact, the fleshy part is essentially the result of the development of the floral receptacle, which completely envelops the five carpels when ripe.

Loquat fruit:

Medlars are grown as fruit trees, and medlars are harvested as florets. You have to wait for the first frost to pick them. Medlars are not very well known and are often considered a forgotten fruit. They have a tangy, sweet flavor. They can be eaten raw or cooked. They are also very rich in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants. They contain a lot of tanninwhich makes them an excellent regulator of intestinal transit. They also have an effect on the nervous system. Medlars, eaten raw and well-calibrated, are said to calm diarrhea!

In the Basque Country, medlar wood is used as a walking stick called a makhila, and requires a drying period of ten to twenty years before being worked by the craftsman. It has a very fine grain and can be polished.

The taste and preservation of medlar honey:

Buckthorn honey really does have original taste of the fruit. It is one of the rarest rare and unusual honeys we can offer you. What’s more, it has an excellent shelf life and poses no particular problems. It has a pleasant fine crystallization. However, it can be made liquid by boiling in a bain-marie.

The benefits of medlar honey :

Loquat honey is said to have antioxidant properties, in the same way as many other honeys, such as thyme honey. It’s also excellent against sore throats. In short, it’s a good remedy for coughs and a great treat for yourself! Don’t miss out on this unusual and rare honey.

Did you know?

Loquat was also used as construction wood in the late Middle Ages, particularly in Flanders and Artois for water mills. It appears in texts under the terms “mesplier” or “merlier”, “meslier”, particularly for parts in contact with water.