The MGS Forum
Plants for mediterranean gardens => Trees and Shrubs => Topic started by: Fermi on July 13, 2019, 12:25:57 PM
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Crataegus species and hybrids perform well in our conditions.
The Mexican Hawthorn, Crataegus mexicana, is semi-deciduous in our climate. In mild winters it retains some foliage till the new foliage emerges. This winter it looks like it will completely defoliate. It forms a spreading small tree and once established it seems to be fairly drought tolerant.
It produces masses of large yellow fruit which ripen in winter and amazingly aren't attacked by the parrots until they fall. I've never tried them but my cousin visiting from Portugal last year said that they were similar to Azarole in taste.
cheers
fermi
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Fermi, thanks, I've learned something! I had to look up what azarole was (and found that it's the Mediterranean medlar, Crataegus azarolus, apparently native to the North African and Near Eastern Mediterranean including Cyprus and Crete).
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I can confirm that Crataegus azarolus is common in Cyprus. The older generations ate them raw or made a kind of marmalade from them but, as with many things, the younger generations are not as involved with carrying on the traditions.
Crataegus monogyna is also present and there is a naturally occurring hybrid between the two, Crataegus x sinaica.
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A sign of more affluent times I would think - when times were hard and food not so easy to come by people were glad to glean whatever they could to supplement their diets, now tastes are more refined and also they are not willing to spend the time involved in harvesting such fruits and making them palatable in some cases. Sad to think that even favourites such as blackberry and apple pie, made from laboriously gathered wild blackberries, may soon become a thing of the past.
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I should've included this pic from back in October when the crataegus was in flower.
cheers
fermi
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Hi
When I saw the name 'Medlar' earlier in this thread I didn't recognise the leaf of the plant being referred to. It turns out that what people grow around Rome and that I had always assumed was Medlar turns out to be Japanese Medlar, Eriobotrya japonica or Loquat. They were introduced into Italy through Naples in the 1700s. They are eaten here but not nearly as much as they used to be. The fruit seems to go off very quickly but that, it appears, is a necessary process. Want to know more about "bletting"? Read on https://gardenandhappy.com/medlar/
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David, Eriobotrya japonica are very commonly grown in Cyprus. In fact a generation ago almost every household would have a tree in the yard. The younger generation, as with many things, haven't carried on the practice. As you say the British in particular refer to them as medlars, although, as you also say they are in fact loquats. They do not need to be bletted and are eaten straight from the tree. We have 2 trees and also a true medlar, Mespilus germanica, the fruit of which does need to be bletted before being edible. For this to happen on the tree generally needs a period of frost, something we do not experience. We could pick the fruit and put it in the fridge for a while to mimic the cold spell but have found the end result not really worth the time taken. So we grow the tree for its novelty value and as an ornamental with its attractive blossom.
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We had a number of seedlings appear under our Mexican Hawthorn and they appear to be a cross between it and the Washington Thorn, Crataegus phaenopyrum. This is the most vigorous one which is exhibiting some lovely berries, about half way in size to its parents'
cheers
fermi
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Very pretty berries, Fermi. Are its flowers as prolific as the washingtoniana?
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Very pretty berries, Fermi. Are its flowers as prolific as the washingtoniana?
Hi Alisdair,
I've got this pic from 2018 which I think is the same tree!
cheers
fermi
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A variation on the Mexican Hawthorn is a hybrid known as the red fruited Mexican Hawthorn, Crataegus x smithiana.
The fruit is mostly orange until quite ripe when they turn red, usually when all the leaves have fallen.
Like the yellow fruited one the birds don't seem to like the fruit so it stays on the tree till it falls,
cheers
fermi