Flowering Quince

Several days ago, I saw a photograph of a quince bonsai. It was about six inches tall and covered with red, pink and white blooms. Quince is a wonderful bonsai specimen but is an under-utilized landscape plant probably because of its unremarkable summer and fall appearance. I think it’s floral display in the late winter more than makes up for these “defects.”

There are actually two plants that are commonly referred to as flowering quince. Although they both have flowers and both form fruit, depending on what characteristic is most desirable, they probably should be called flowering quince and fruiting quince. Flowering quince (Chaenomeles japonica, often commonly called Japanese quince) is a small shrub planted primarily for its floral displays. Fruiting quince (Cydonia oblonga, sometimes called European quince) is a tree growing up to about 25 feet and produces larger and more flavorful fruit.

Flowering quince is a small deciduous shrub that grows to a height of three to six feet. This is a densely- branched low growing plant with thorny tangled twigs. The broadly oval leaves are arranged alternately along the stem, are serrated and lack the fuzz found on other species of quince.

The flowers appear in late winter or early spring before the leaves appear. The flowering quince may also bloom sporadically during the spring and summer. The flowers are up to 1.5 inches across with five petals and in colors of white, pink and an orange scarlet. Varieties can be found that produce double or semi-double blooms while others may exhibit different colored flowers on the same stem. Branches containing flower buds can be cut in the late winter and brought indoors and forced to bloom.

The flowers are followed by hard greenish-yellow fruits that ripen in the early autumn. The ripe fruits are fragrant and edible. They are considered to be too bitter and astringent to be eaten directly from the shrub. The fruit do become softer and less astringent after a frost. The fruit of the flowering quince can be used for making liqueurs, marmalades and preserves. The fruit of the flowering quince contains more vitamin C than lemons.

Flowering quince are hardy in zones four through nine and are easily grown in average well-drained soil. They do show a preference, however, for prepared beds. They will grow in full sun to partial shade but do bloom noticeably better in sun. Established plants can tolerate some dry conditions but are not considered to be drought tolerant. These plants can grow up to six feet wide and should not be planted any closer than three to four feet. They can be grown against a wall but should not be planted any closer to the structure than about 18 inches. They can be trained by tying the branches to a trellis or espalier sires. When grown close together in a row they make a nice, dense hedge. Even in winter the branching habit along with the thorns makes a barrier that keeps the neighbor’s critters on the other side. Only minimal pruning is necessary for the flowering quince. Prune only to retain shape in the spring after flowering. This will stimulate the growth of flower buds improving the bloom for the next year since these plants bloom on old growth. Pruning after flowering will of course reduce fruit production. Suckers may cause possible spread and should be removed promptly.

Flowering quince are members of the rose family and are susceptible to the same problems as other members of the rose family. Aphids are a perennial problem in most gardens and they will attack almost anything including quince. The same leaf spot that plagues roses can be found on flowering quince when air circulation is not adequate. To help avoid this fungal problem, water the soil rather than the foliage. Wet foliage invites fungi. Quince leaves may burn in the hot afternoon sun, and the plant might defoliate. Typically, the plant will rebound and the problem is not usually fatal. Pot grown plants may be more susceptible to this problem but can be moved into a more protected location.