April's Flowering Quince
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Common Name: Flowering quince
Botanical Name: Chaenomeles speciosa Form: shrubby, dense, twiggy, oval horizontal Family: Rosaceae Genus: Chaenomeles Species: speciosa Plant Type: deciduous shrub Mature Size: 6 to 10ft tall and wide Growth: moderate Origin: China Hardiness Zone: 4 to 8 Foliage: simple, shiny, dark green, finely-toothed, broad-oval, green leaves to 2” long. Flowers: March, April, fragrant scarlet blooms on fruiting spurs on old wood, 5 round petals to 1.5 wide, white stamens, blossoms before leaves emerge, Fruit: showy, edible, greenish yellow fragrant pomes, edible, ripen in early fall Stems: thorny, with alternate leaves Exposure: sun to part shade, full sun best Soil: soil tolerant, clay, drought tolerant, prefers well-drained soil Uses: shrub border, erosion control, informal barrier hedge, espalier Propagation: layering, softwood cuttings and seeds Pruning: avoid heavy pruning, prune to shape as needed in spring right after flowering Problems: suckers may appear from the roots, remove asap, apple scape, rust, scale, fungal leaf spot, high pH promotes yellow foliage (chlorosis). Comments: Flowering quince (C. speciosa) produce simple but pretty colourful flowers in spring before their 3 inch long foliage emerges. Each cupped-shaped fragrant flower bears many yellow stamens. Their 2 to 5 inch pome fruit is also fragrant and ripens in the fall. Although they are edible, they are best turned into preserves. They are often used as a substitute for the true quince (Cydonia oblonga). Japanese quince, Maule's quince (C. japonica), is smaller than the speciosa, growing 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide, with 2 inch long foliage. Flowers are an orange scarlet. Produces 2 inch, hard, yellow apple-shaped fruit, also suitable for jams. Zones 5 to 9 |