| A small, deciduous tree, up to 20' tall, with a rounded habit, composed of tightly interwoven branches. The leaves are alternate, simple and oblong, and turn yellow-brown in fall. A member of the rose family, it has 1" spines on its stems, although cultivated varieties usually lack this feature. The flowers are white to light pink, 1-1 1/2" diameter, with 5 petals, appearing in late spring or early summer. A brown pear-shaped fruit is produced in late fall, requiring cold weather to ripen. A jelly is made from these fruits. Prefers well drained and sunny location. Native to southeastern Europe, east to Iran. Long cultivated. |
