Cold hardiness & minimum temperature

Is Nottingham medlar (Mespilus germanica 'Nottingham')cold hardy? Hardiness zone & min temp

Also called Nottingham medlar, medlar 'Nottingham'.

More about nottingham medlar

About Nottingham medlar

Mespilus germanica 'Nottingham' · also called Nottingham medlar, medlar 'Nottingham' · edible

One of the oldest named medlar cultivars, 'Nottingham' is an upright small tree producing smaller-than-average fruits with exceptional, complex flavour once bletted. Hardy to USDA zone 4, self-fertile, and largely trouble-free. Fruits are harvested after the first frosts and stored indoors for several weeks until soft, sweet, and ready to eat.

Cold limit: USDA 4-9 · RHS H6 (-20 to 35°C)

Watch for — Aphids: Woolly or green aphids may colonise new shoots in spring, causing leaf curl. In most seasons natural predators (ladybirds, lacewings) provide adequate control. Use a winter wash to reduce overwintering eggs on bark.

What nottingham medlar's hardiness rating actually means

Yes — nottingham medlar is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. Its RHS rating of H6 means: Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe. On the US scale that maps to USDA 4-9 — the zones where it can be left outdoors year-round.

New to these scales? The USDA hardiness zone map explained covers how the zone numbers work, and you can find your own zone with the zone finder.

Minimum temperature — and what happens below it

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Nottingham medlar is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

Concretely, for nottingham medlar as it gets too cold:

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established.
Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root.
First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.

Can nottingham medlar go outside or overwinter — and where?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 and it overwinters with little or no help.
It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy.
The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

Work back from your local frost dates with the frost-date calculator: the last spring frost and first autumn frost are what really decide when nottingham medlar can be outside. US growers can check USDA zones; UK growers should use the RHS hardiness ratings, which match the H6 figure above.

Nottingham medlar hardiness — frequently asked questions

Is nottingham medlar cold hardy?

Yes — nottingham medlar is genuinely cold hardy. Rated RHS H6 and USDA 4-9, it lives outdoors all year and needs winter cold rather than protection from it. An outdoor plant. Nottingham medlar is hardy across USDA 4-9; it belongs in the ground or a frost-proof container, not on a windowsill, and many types actively need a cold winter to perform.

What is the minimum temperature nottingham medlar can survive?

Minimum survivable temperature is roughly about −20 to −15 °C. Nottingham medlar is built for winter — once established it takes hard frost and snow in its stride.

What hardiness zone is nottingham medlar?

Nottingham medlar is rated USDA 4-9 and RHS H6 — Hardy throughout the UK and northern Europe.

Can nottingham medlar survive winter outside?

Plant it out within USDA 4-9 and it overwinters with little or no help. It does not want to come indoors — a warm winter room actually weakens a hardy plant by denying it dormancy. The real risks in its range are waterlogging, wind-rock on young plants, and a late hard frost on new growth — not ordinary winter cold.

What happens to nottingham medlar below its minimum temperature?

It tolerates winter lows to about −20 to −15 °C once established. Below its rated zone, the visible damage is browned or blackened top growth and, in the worst case, a killed crown or root. First-year, newly planted, or container-grown specimens are noticeably less hardy than established garden plants — the roots are exposed.