Medlar is a long-term planting — a young tree typically takes about five years to bear its first real fruit, and then produces for years. It's hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8 and stands up to deer. Its late spring flowers are a moderate draw for honeybees and native bees, even though the fruit is the prize.
Zones
5-8
pH Range
5-8
Sun
Part Sun
To First Harvest
~5 yr
Score Medlar on your exact land.
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What Medlar is
Medlar grows as a perennial and reaches around 20 feet at maturity. It blooms white in late spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Medlar
Medlar grows in USDA zones 5 through 8 and takes about five years to begin bearing. Medlar does best in part sun — at least 4 hours of direct sun a day — and soil from pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground. It needs around 2,000 growing degree days to mature and about 600 hours of winter chill to set fruit, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
5-8
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
5 - 8
USDA PLANTS Database
Sun
Part Sun
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
To First Harvest
~5 years
Medlar; bletted (over-ripened) for eating; seed needs cold strat. ~5 yr from grafted; small fruit tree.
RHS; USDA-NRCS
GDD Required
2000+
Growing degree-days of accumulated warmth it needs to mature — humid summers reach this faster than cool coastal ones.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
20 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
600+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set medlar in part sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Medlar prefers pH 5 to 8 (Growable Ground Plant Database). A quick soil test from your local Extension lab tells you whether to add lime or sulfur to land in band.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Be patient, then harvest
Medlar takes about five years to its first meaningful harvest (RHS; USDA-NRCS). Prune annually while it establishes, and the tree will then crop for years.
Good to know
Good news for pet owners — medlar isn't known to be toxic to dogs or cats. (Source: ASPCA.)
Medlar offers moderate value to bees and other pollinators.
Before you harvest medlar, know your soil
Anything you grow to eat takes up what's in the ground it grows in, so it's worth knowing what's documented near you before you plant medlar for food. Our free screen reads 9 federal source types across roughly 1.8M indexed sites and shows which sit near your address and which way they drain. It's a screening estimate from public records and proximity — not a soil test — so a nearby record means a soil test is worth it, not that your soil is unsafe.
Where Medlar thrives
Medlar is hardy across USDA zones 5 through 8. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
Zones 5–8·Where Medlar growsOpen map →
On USDA hardiness-zone overlap, Medlar can grow in these states:
See if Medlar will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether medlar actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I grow Medlar in my zone?
Medlar grows in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
How long until Medlar bears fruit?
Medlar typically takes about five years after planting to bear its first real crop, then produces for years (RHS; USDA-NRCS). Soil, climate, and rootstock all shift the timeline.
When should you plant Medlar?
Set medlar out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
How much sun does Medlar need?
Medlar does well in partial sun — around 4 hours of direct sun, and it takes some afternoon shade in stride. That flexibility makes it a good match for a bed the house or a nearby tree shades for part of the day. A Growable Ground report maps how the sun actually falls on your land, hour by hour, so you can set it where the light lines up.
What soil does Medlar need?
Medlar prefers soil pH 5 to 8, on well-drained ground (Growable Ground Plant Database). Your report scores your parcel's actual soil against that using USDA SSURGO data.
Does Medlar attract pollinators?
Yes — medlar's flowers are a solid nectar source for honeybees and native bees.
Is Medlar safe for pets?
Medlar is not known to be toxic to dogs or cats based on available data. Always supervise pets around new plantings. (Source: ASPCA.)