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Medlar: The Forgotten Fruit of November 1st

As the calendar turns to November and autumn’s golden embrace tightens, we celebrate an often-overlooked botanical treasure - the Medlar. On November 1st, we explore this unique fruit-bearing tree, delving into its fascinating characteristics, rich history, and the profound symbolism it has carried through the ages.

The Essence of Medlar

The Medlar, scientifically known as Mespilus germanica, is a small deciduous tree or large shrub belonging to the rose family (Rosaceae). Native to southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe, this ancient fruit has been cultivated for thousands of years, though it’s less common in modern orchards.

Medlar trees typically grow to a height of 4-8 meters, forming a dense, rounded canopy. Their dark green leaves are large and elliptical, turning a beautiful array of yellow, red, and purple hues in autumn. But it’s the fruit and flowers that truly set the Medlar apart.

The Medlar’s flowers appear in late spring, usually in May or June. These white or pink blossoms are quite large, measuring up to 5 cm across, with five petals and numerous stamens. They have a simple, rose-like beauty that attracts pollinators to the tree.

The fruit of the Medlar, also called medlars, are perhaps its most distinctive feature. About the size of a small apple, they have a peculiar shape often described as a cross between an apple and a rosehip. The fruit has a brown, leathery skin and an open calyx at the end, giving it a rustic, almost unfinished appearance.

Interestingly, Medlar fruits are harvested after the first frost and are typically not eaten immediately. They require a process called “bletting,” where the fruits are left to soften and ferment slightly, developing a sweeter, more complex flavor. This unique ripening process has contributed to the Medlar’s intriguing reputation throughout history.

The Language of Flowers: Medlar’s Symbolic Meanings

While not traditionally included in the Victorian language of flowers, the Medlar has acquired symbolic meanings based on its characteristics and historical perceptions:

  1. Patience: The need for bletting symbolizes the virtue of patience and the rewards of waiting.

  2. Hidden Sweetness: The initially hard, tart fruit that becomes sweet represents hidden depths and the value of looking beyond first impressions.

  3. Maturity: The late harvest and bletting process associate the Medlar with wisdom that comes with age.

  4. Decay and Renewal: The softening process symbolizes the cycle of decay and rebirth, fitting for its November bloom.

  5. Rustic Charm: Its unusual appearance represents unpretentious beauty and the appeal of the unconventional.

  6. Time’s Passage: As a fruit harvested at the year’s end, it symbolizes the closing of cycles and reflection on time passed.

Stories, Myths, and Legends

The Medlar has a rich history woven into literature, culture, and cuisine:

  1. Shakespearean Metaphor: In “Romeo and Juliet,” Shakespeare uses the Medlar as a ribald metaphor, playing on its colloquial name and appearance.

  2. Roman Delicacy: The Romans cultivated Medlars extensively, considering them a delicacy and spreading their cultivation throughout their empire.

  3. Medieval Gardens: Medlars were common in medieval monastery gardens, valued for both their fruit and medicinal properties.

  4. Nostradamus’s Jam: The famous prophet Nostradamus allegedly created a Medlar jam recipe that was said to be an aphrodisiac.

  5. Symbol of Hospitality: In some cultures, offering guests bletted Medlars was a sign of welcome and friendship.

A Poem: Ode to the Medlar

In autumn's waning golden light,
You stand, a most peculiar sight.
Medlar, with your fruit so strange,
A testament to time's sweet change.

Blossoms fair in spring's embrace,
Give way to form of rustic grace.
Patient we wait through frost's first kiss,
For flavor that few would miss.

In Shakespeare's verse and Roman feast,
Your fame from greatest to the least.
A hidden sweetness, slow revealed,
In you, life's wisdom is concealed.

Oh Medlar, teach us to endure,
To ripen slowly, true and sure.
In life's cold seasons, help us find,
The subtle gifts of heart and mind.

As we contemplate the Medlar on this November 1st, let us appreciate the profound lessons this unusual fruit offers. In a world that often values instant gratification, the Medlar reminds us of the rewards of patience and the beauty found in life’s slower processes.

May the Medlar inspire us to look beyond first impressions, to recognize that true value often lies beneath the surface. Let its need for bletting encourage us to embrace life’s transformative processes, understanding that sometimes we too need time to soften and develop our sweetest qualities.

Whether we encounter Medlars in ancient recipes, literary references, or perhaps in a well-tended orchard, let them serve as a reminder of our connection to historical traditions and the cyclical nature of time. Like the Medlar, may we strive to offer our own unique gifts to the world, even if they don’t conform to conventional standards of perfection.

In celebrating the Medlar, we celebrate not just a fruit, but a symbol of the wisdom that comes with age and the beauty found in the oft-overlooked corners of nature. Let its autumn harvest inspire us to reflect on the year passed, to appreciate the sweetness that can emerge from life’s colder seasons, and to cultivate patience in our pursuit of life’s deeper pleasures.

As we stand at the threshold of November, may the Medlar remind us to appreciate the unconventional, to practice patience in our personal growth, and to recognize the subtle sweetness that can emerge when we allow ourselves the time and space to truly ripen into our best selves.