Unusual Fruit

Interesting Facts About Fig Trees

• Native to the Middle East and western Asia, figs aren’t actually fruits! They are in fact the flowers which are an enclosed inflorescence known as a false fruit or scion.
• Fig trees produce edible fruits and can be traced back to 9400BC, they were popular in Roman times and were fed to geese to produce foie gras. In fact, the word foie which is French for liver, the Spanish higado, Italian fegato and Portuguese figado are all derived from the Latin for fig.
• Fig trees were first introduced to the U.K in the 16^th century by Cardinal Reginald Pole and planted in Lambeth Palace, London.

Interesting Facts About Medlar Trees

• Medlar trees are one of few fruit trees that ripen in winter, making them ideal for gardeners seeking late season fresh fruit.
• Medlar fruits are bletted, meaning they’re left to rot before you eat them - trust us, it tastes better than it sounds!
• Medlar fruits were favoured by Romans and popular in Medieval England and were even referenced in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

Interesting Facts About Quince Trees

• Quince trees have been eaten throughout history but are also grown for their attractive flowers and ornamental qualities.
• Quince fruits were offered at weddings in Ancient Greece as it was believed they were first brought to Greece by Aphrodite the goddess of love.
• In Croatia, quince trees are planted to celebrate the birth of a baby as a symbol of fertility.
• Quinces have been used to make wines and stews and can be added to apple sauce and pies to enhance the flavour.
• Quince trees were first planted in England in 1275 when Edward! Chose them for the Tower of London.
• Pear trees are often grafted on to quince trees as they dwarf the growth of pear trees whilst increasing the production of the fruit.
• Turkey is the top producer of Quinces as it provides the ideal climate and produced over 120,000 tonnes in 2011.