Rare fruit tree given rude nickname by Shakespeare discovered

By Adam Dutton

A rare fruit tree once nicknamed “open-a--e” by William Shakespeare has been discovered growing in Middlesbrough – decades after the unusual plant all but vanished from Britain.

The ancient medlar trees were uncovered by horticulturalists working at the former Nature’s World site in Acklam, with experts stunned to find the medieval favourites thriving on Teesside soil.

The bizarre fruit, which was highly prized in the 1600s, is famous not only for its rude Shakespearean nickname but also because it has to rot before it can be eaten.

If picked and eaten when ripe, medlars can cause diarrhea and nausea. But after undergoing a process called bletting, the fruit turns brown, soft and almost rotten-looking as its starch turns to sugar, creating a sweet caramel-like flavour.

The fig-like fruit appears in late autumn, with many comparing the taste to a spiced pear or dates.

Matthew Wilson, Middlesbrough Environment City's Horticulturist Lead, said: “It’s been on site for a long time, the trees are mature now. A volunteer knew they were and he looks after our organic orchard.

"He was able to realize the medlar fruit trees were there and then let me know.

“They’re so interesting, they’re hundreds of years old as a species and a lot of the reason they’re still here is because they’re pretty easy to cultivate.

“I had absolutely no idea what they were when I was first introduced to them recently.”

The charity's horticultural team found the forgotten trees while managing the sprawling 22-acre site, which was originally established in the 1980s as Nature’s World, a center focused on sustainable energy.

Matt explained the fruit's strange life cycle has helped it survive for centuries.

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He said: “It blooms late in the spring which is good for pollinators and also it produces the food in the late autumn, early winter every year.

“It rots on the tree, it needs the frost to do this. So it meant you were getting fresh fruit into the winter. It’s a process called bletting where the starch turns into sugar.

“I had one last year and it was unbelievable, it’s like a spiced pear or a date, it’s unusual. I didn’t know what I was eating, it’s only recently I learnt."

Medlars were once a winter staple in medieval households, providing a valuable source of fresh fruit during the colder months. Chefs used them in jellies, fruit butter, tarts and even a special medlar cheese.

Despite once being common across Britain, the fruit fell out of favour in the 1950s as modern tastes changed.

Matt said: “I wouldn’t think it was that marketable, it’s quite an acquired taste.

“They’ve probably been there decades - there’s three that we’ve found, but the site is pretty big. I think it’s 22 acres. The area was set up in the 80s as Nature’s World - an area for sustainable energy.

“We’re always discovering new areas for the site. I grow foods for our community allotments, I do a lot of work with people coming onto the site.

“It’s so important that we grow our own food and provide for the area.”

The discovery could now help preserve the rare trees for future generations.

Matt added: “I’m hoping at the end of the year we’ll get some cuttings, and we can propagate them. We can also graft them using a different root stock. That cutting will produce true to the tree it came from.

“All the fruit is then going into the eco shop, they’re like foodbanks. We grow the fresh stuff and give it to them. There’s a few different vegetables we grow that are unusual, but this could be one of the most unusual.

“People will have a shock for sure.”