Caucasian (Abkhazian) loquat: photo of a tree and fruits, growing at home

Caucasian medlar (Mespilus Caucasei) is a tree with unusual fruits that naturally grows on mountain slopes, in copses and oak forests. Its fruits contain many microelements and vitamins in their composition, they are of great benefit to patients with hypertension, asthma and diabetes. With regular use, medlar is able to cleanse the liver and blood vessels, improve digestion.

Caucasian medlar helps to remove harmful substances from the body, saturates it with vitamins

Description of the Caucasian medlar with a photo

The Caucasian medlar is a fruit of the Rosaceae family, native to Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It can be found in Abkhazia, Crimea, Georgia and other countries with a favorable subtropical climate. The culture requires warm winters and summers, high humidity. In the Caucasus, it grows both wild and as a garden plant.

Caucasian medlar, or as some call it – Abkhazian, is a medium-sized round-shaped fruit, slightly flattened on the sides. By external signs, they resemble small apples, outside they are covered with a fluffy formation. The color of the medlar is brown, with a slight red tint, diameter up to 3 cm, weight up to 8 g. Most of the volume of the fruit is occupied by inedible bones (seeds), which can contain up to seven pieces. The taste of the fruit is pleasant, slightly astringent, sweet and sour. Ripening occurs towards the end of summer or autumn, the period depends entirely on the place of growth. Some collect the fruits of the Caucasian medlar even in December.

The plant is a large tall tree with a spreading crown, capable of reaching eight meters in height. Its trunk is not very voluminous, up to 20 cm in diameter. The leaves are large, wide, leathery, green in color, their surface is glossy, and the bottom is velvety, the edges are serrated. With the advent of autumn, they begin to turn yellow and fall off. The leaves of the Caucasian medlar, like the fruits, contain useful substances; decoctions are prepared from it to help cope with asthma and bronchitis. The plant blooms in spring with beautiful large buds of cream and white color, with a pleasant delicate aroma. The culture can be grown as a garden decoration or as a houseplant, but in this case it needs to create conditions close to the natural environment. When grown indoors, Caucasian medlar brings a lot of trouble.

From the leaves of this fruit tree, decoctions are obtained that help with inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract.

The composition of medlar and calories

Caucasian medlar is not just a beautiful culture with which you can decorate the landscape design of a personal plot, but also a medicinal plant containing many useful substances. The fruits include:

• vitamins A, C, group B;
• minerals (potassium, magnesium, calcium);
• pectin;
• alimentary fiber;
• phytoncides;
• organic acids;
• polysaccharides;
• tannins.

100 g of the product contains 4% carbohydrates and 1% of the daily protein requirement, no fats. The calorie content of the Caucasian medlar is 53 kcal.

Medicinal properties of the Caucasian medlar

Due to the very high content of ascorbic acid, Caucasian medlar helps to strengthen the immune system, helps in the fight against infectious diseases, and increases the body’s resistance to them. Fruits have a beneficial effect on the vascular system, prevent the occurrence of thrombosis. Tannins in the composition of the plant have a bactericidal effect. Berries are taken as an anti-inflammatory agent, a medicine for removing sputum. In addition, they contribute to the normalization of blood circulation. Decoctions from the Caucasian variety of medlar have established themselves as a good hemostatic agent. The fruit helps to cleanse the body of toxins, stimulates intestinal motility, improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract and lowers blood cholesterol levels. The fruits of the plant have a positive effect on the state of muscles and the nervous system, normalize blood pressure, have a beneficial effect on the heart, improve blood clotting, which reduces the likelihood of stroke and heart attack. Due to the content of calcium, Caucasian loquat makes strong bones, nails and hair. She is advised to include in the diet of children and women bearing a child, since the ascorbic acid contained in the product helps maintain immunity, and folic acid contributes to the normal development of the embryo.

The fruits of the culture are recommended for pregnant women and children.

The taste of Caucasian medlar

The berries of the plant are fragrant, unusual, but pleasant to the taste, somewhat similar to quince and strawberries, have a slight acidity, juicy pulp. When fresh, they may have a slightly astringent taste. If the crop of the Caucasian medlar is harvested after frost, then the fruits become very sweet, without signs of acid.

How to eat Caucasian medlar

Caucasian medlar is eaten both fresh and processed. Some housewives prepare compotes, syrups, jams, preserves from it and use berries as decoration for desserts. Fruit can be frozen to increase shelf life. Leftover uneaten fruit should be wrapped in paper and stored in the refrigerator.

Harvesting medlars is carried out after the berries acquire softness and a red-brown hue. The culture cannot be transported; it can be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than two days.

Before eating the fruit, it is cut into two parts, the bones are removed so as not to spoil the impression of the product, and the peel is cut off.

The use of medlar in folk medicine

Caucasian medlar is actively used in folk medicine. Tinctures and decoctions are prepared from the fruits of the plant for the treatment of inflammation in the respiratory system, the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract and digestion. To get the maximum effect in eliminating shortness of breath, cough, asthma symptoms, Caucasian medlar puree mixed with natural honey is made.

It is known that ripe fruits of the culture produce a laxative effect, while unripe ones, on the contrary, give a fixing effect. A decoction of unripe berries helps with urolithiasis, restores the activity of the digestive tract.

The fruit can have both a laxative and a fastening effect.

Harm of the Caucasian medlar and contraindications

Caucasian medlar mainly benefits people, but there are some contraindications in its use:

1. Individual intolerance. Before you try a fruit, you should make sure that you are not allergic to it.
2. Chronic stomach problems. People suffering from gastritis, ulcers, pancreatic diseases should use berries with caution so as not to cause an exacerbation.
3. Violation of intestinal motility. The fruits of the plant are very tart, with a high content of tannins, can provoke constipation.

Growing Caucasian medlar at home

Caucasian medlar is a plant that is very easy to grow on the site, although it is not particularly popular. This type of fruit tree does not need careful maintenance, is combined with many cultures, looks interesting in the landscape. In order for the medlar to grow well and bear fruit, it is enough to water it and periodically feed it.

Landing

Caucasian medlar is a tree that can be planted in spring or autumn. It all depends on the climatic conditions of the growing region. The plant prefers sunny areas, without strong winds and drafts. Experts in agricultural technology say that the culture is frost-resistant, but as practice shows, it does not tolerate extreme cold. The Caucasian medlar does not impose special requirements on the composition of the soil, however, it feels best on slightly acidic and neutral soil. The humus, sandy loamy and soddy soil with an acidity of 5-6 points is considered the most favorable for crop vegetation.

If the Caucasian medlar is planted in the ground with seedlings, then this is done according to the following algorithm:

1. The site for the plant is freed from weeds in advance, dug up, sprinkled with bone meal and mineral fertilizers.
2. Dig a hole so that it is twice the size of the roots of the seedling.
3. A peg is placed in the hole, a tree is placed, sprinkled with earth.
4. Tie the seedling to a support.
5. Plentifully watered with warm water.

A couple of days after planting, the plant is mulched with rotted manure and compost.

When growing a tree from a stone, planting material should be carefully prepared. Since medlar fruit seeds have a dense shell, before planting they are cut and soaked in water for 10-12 hours. After that, the material is placed in fertile soil treated with boiling water, which is a mixture of ash, humus, sand and peat. You need to deepen the bone by 4-5 cm. The sprout of the Caucasian medlar should appear a month and a half after planting the seed. For two years, he is given normal care, then planted in a permanent place.

In order for the tree to grow even and beautiful, its seedling is tied to a peg.

Care

During the care of the Caucasian variety of medlar, there are no particular difficulties. The culture requires moderate watering, stagnant moisture in the near-stem circle should be avoided. The tree responds favorably to fertilizing with organic fertilizers with mullein (ratio 8:1). It is advisable to feed young specimens and seedlings once a month, adults – twice per season. To form a crown, it is desirable to trim the tree, and the procedure is also necessary for sanitary purposes. Sick, damaged, dry branches of the crop should be removed regularly, the yield and health of the plant depends on this. In the spring, it is desirable to cut off frozen, as well as unpromising shoots.

Reproduction

In the Caucasus, the plant can often be found on the streets, in vegetable gardens and orchards. The culture is great for landscaping areas. It is propagated most often by cuttings or seeds, less often by layering.

In the first case, gardeners cut off the offshoot of an adult fruit tree, remove half of the foliage from it and soak it in water for half a day. After that, the place of cut is treated with ash and planted on the site. Cuttings are usually taken 1,5-2 months after planting.

In the second case, the seeds of mature fruits are cut into two parts, soaked in water, and then planted in a container filled with fertile soil mixture. A year later, the sprout is transplanted into a pot of larger diameter, after the same amount of time they are planted in a permanent place.

Some gardeners, with the onset of autumn, bend the stem of the tree to the soil, make an incision on it and cover it with a film. With the advent of warm spring days, the shelter is removed, if the shoot from the incision site has taken root, it is transplanted.

When the Caucasian medlar ripens

Fruiting culture begins three to five years after planting. In a favorable climate, the full ripening of the fruit occurs closer to August. If the summer is cool, then picking the berries is postponed until the onset of the autumn season – in the second half of September.

In warm sunny weather, the Caucasian medlar ripens very quickly.

Conclusion

Caucasian medlar is a little-known exotic fruit that grows in subtropical climates. The plant is unpretentious, looks interesting in landscape design. Its fruits have health-promoting properties, strengthen the immune system well, and help fight various diseases. Decoctions of medlar are often used in folk medicine to get rid of various ailments. Berries have a pleasant taste, can be used in cooking.