Flowering quince

Identification and origin

Chaenomeles speciosa belongs to the family Rosaceae, like the apple and the common quince. Despite the name Japanese quince, it is native to China, where it grows from the center and southeast of the country to Tibet. The genus name comes from Greek and means “gaping apple,” a mistake based on the belief that its fruits split open; the epithet speciosa means “showy.”

It is a deciduous, multi-stemmed shrub 6–10 ft tall, with an equal or greater spread. Upright and vase-shaped when young, it becomes rounded and then broad-spreading with age. Its very dense, tangled branches bear thorns. It is more upright than its relative Chaenomeles japonica. The alternate leaves, oval to elliptic, are 2–4 in long; they emerge reddish bronze and mature to glossy dark green. At their base, large, rounded, kidney-shaped stipules are a good identification feature.

The flowers appear from late winter into early spring, before the leaves, on the previous year’s wood. Borne in clusters of two to four, cup-shaped and about 2 in across, they have five rounded petals and 40 to 60 golden stamens. The species has scarlet flowers; cultivars range from white to pink, salmon, and orange, single or double. A few scattered flowers sometimes reappear in fall. The flowers attract bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.

The fruit is a speckled, yellow-green pome up to 3 in across, hard, astringent, and fragrant, ripening in fall. Its scent recalls pineapple, lemon, and vanilla, and its juice has been used as a lemon substitute. Common cultivars include ‘Nivalis’, vigorous with white flowers; ‘Toyo-Nishiki’, with red, pink, and white flowers on the same branch; ‘Contorta’, with twisted stems and white flowers; ‘Rubra’, bright red; and the Double Take series, with double flowers (‘Scarlet Storm’, ‘Orange Storm’, ‘Pink Storm’).

Light

Full sun, at least six hours a day, gives the most abundant bloom. The shrub tolerates part shade and any exposure, but flowers and fruits less there. It handles both exposed and sheltered sites.

Watering

Once established, it is moderately drought tolerant. It prefers soil that stays moist but drains well: too much water harms it as much as prolonged drought. After planting, and during dry summers in the first few years, check the soil moisture at the base and water deeply when the surface is dry. A layer of mulch helps keep the soil moist.

Potting mix

It adapts to almost any soil, whether clay, loam, sand, or rocky ground, and tolerates dry sites. The one real pitfall is alkaline soil: at high pH the foliage turns yellow (chlorosis). Aim for slightly acidic to neutral, moist, well-drained soil. After the annual pruning, mulch and a dose of fertilizer help the plant produce strong young shoots.

Temperature

Hardy, it is grown in USDA zones 4 to 8. Cold seldom threatens the shrub itself, but its very early flower buds can be injured in severe winters. To enjoy its flowers even earlier, cut a few branches in bud in late winter and force them into bloom in a vase indoors.

Repotting

This shrub is grown in the ground. Choose a sunny spot with non-alkaline soil and allow for its mature width, at least equal to its height. It makes an excellent informal or barrier hedge thanks to its thorns, a shrub border, or a plant trained against a wall. It is moderately salt tolerant, and deer browse it only occasionally. Its tangle of branches traps dead leaves and litter, so regular cleanup is helpful. Keep in mind that its ornamental interest is concentrated in a single season, early spring, with no fall color.

Pruning

It blooms on the previous year’s wood: prune right after flowering, which gives the plant the most time to grow the shoots that will flower the following year. Cut flowered shoots back to strong young shoots lower down. Each year, also remove dead, damaged, or weak wood, and cut up to a fifth of the oldest stems to near the ground to renew the clump. If you want fruit, prune moderately, because pruning removes part of the crop. Without yearly pruning it soon loses its shape, and an aging shrub tolerates rejuvenation pruning.

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings taken in summer root easily. Layering, in fall, involves pegging a low branch into the soil until it roots, then severing it from the parent. Seed is possible, but it needs a period of moist cold (stratification) before it will germinate.

Common problems

• Yellowing foliage: chlorosis caused by alkaline soil.
• Leaf spots and defoliation by midsummer: apple scab or leaf spot.
• Shoots that blacken as if scorched: fire blight.
• Wilted flowers, rotting fruit: blossom wilt and brown rot.
• Rust on the fruit: cedar-quince rust.
• Pests: aphids on stressed plants, scale insects, mites, and caterpillars that spin silk nests.
• Decline of the whole shrub: rarely, honey fungus or wood rot.

A single symptom can have several causes: consider the soil, the weather, and the overall condition of the shrub before treating.

Toxicity

The seeds contain toxins. The raw fruits, hard and bitter, are not eaten as is; they are cooked into jellies and preserves after the seeds are removed. For pets, the fruits are ornamental and should not be eaten. If a child or a pet swallows seeds, contact a poison control center or a veterinarian.