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| Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) |
The
genus Chaenomeles contains but four Asian
species: Chaenomeles japonica, C. cathayensis,
C. speciosa and C. thibetica [1]. The genus, in the Rose
family (Rosaceae), is related to the true quince (Cydonia oblonga)
and the Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis). The genus name is pronounced kie-NOM-e-lez. The Asian quinces have a long and confusing
taxonomic history. For more on the
taxonomy, see reference 2 (below).
Japanese
quince, Chaenomeles japonica (also known as Maul’s quince), is native to
the low mountain woodlands of central and southern Japan. The fruit is called
Kusa-boke (草木瓜) in
Japanese. The Japanese quince has also
been known as Chaenomeles maulei, Cydonia japonica, Cydonia maulei, Pyrus
japonica and P. maulei [3].
The
more common Chaenomeles speciosa or Flowering quince (sometimes also
known as ‘Japanese quince’, ‘Chinese quince’ and Zhou Pi Mugua) and the other
two species are native to China. Chaenomeles
speciosa has also been called C. laganaria, Cydonia lagenaria, Cydonia speciosa,
and Pyrus japonica.
Many
of the plants sold as Flowering or Japanese quince are actually hybrids. Four named hybrids have been bred in gardens.
The most common is C. × superba (hybrid C. speciosa × C.
japonica), while C. × vilmoriniana is a hybrid C. speciosa × C.
cathayensis, and C. × clarkiana is a hybrid C. japonica × C.
cathayensis. The hybrid C. × californica is a tri-species hybrid (C.
× superba × C. cathayensis).
Common horticultural
cultivars of Chaenomeles include:
- 'Cameo' - Double, apricot-pink flowers; 4' to 5'
tall; few thorns.
- 'Contorta' - Twisted stems and white flowers;
showy in winter.
- 'Jet Trail' - A low-growing (to 3' tall); pure white
blossoms.
- 'Nivalis' - A vigorous, upright growth; White,
single flowers.
- 'Texas Scarlet' - Low-growing (to 4' tall); bright
red flowers; few thorns; apple-like fruit good for culinary purposes.
- 'Orange Delight': low spreading
plant, bright orange flowers.
- 'Toyo-Nishiki' - Upright, rounded habit (6' to 10'
tall); red, pink and white flowers in the same flower cluster; very hardy,
but may be more prone to fireblight disease.
- 'Scarlet Storm', 'Orange Storm', 'Pink Storm' –
thornless; double flowers; no fruits
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Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species):
habit of small cultivar
|
Of
the four Chaenomeles species , only C. cathayensis grows to more
than 3-5 meters (9-15 ft) tall; most are small to large shrubs. They are often
wider than they are tall. All species (with
the exception a few hybrid cultivars) are very thorny, and have a rather wild
appearance, often with overlapping gray-brown twiggy branches. The overall shape is rounded, but there is
much variability between individual plants.
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| Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species): foliage |
The
foliage is fairly typical for the Rose Family.
Leaves are medium to dark glossy green, alternate, and elliptical in
shape. Leaf margins are serrated. Young leaves may be orange/red tinted, but
fall leaves do not provide much color, usually falling while still green.
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| Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) : flowering plant |
Asian
quinces usually flower before the plants leaf out, often in March or April; as a
result, flower buds may be injured by cold
weather. The flowers are surprisingly showy for these modest-appearing shrubs. Plants
are often chosen specifically for their floral characteristics, though flowers
last but 2-3 weeks. Flowers grow on 2-4
year-old wood, so care must be taken to not over-prune. The flowers are often
clustered, and individual flowers one to 1 ½ inches (3-4 cm) wide.
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| Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) : flowers |
The
flowers of all species within the genus Chaenomeles
normally have five sepals and five petals. The petals can vary from white
to darkest red through pink, orange, and scarlet, and bi-colored petals are
frequent. The species’ have single petals, but some cultivars have double
flowers. The flowers have many stamens
and produce abundant nectar (but are scentless). Flowers are pollinated by bumblebees and European
Honey bees. In some areas, the flowers
also attract hummingbirds.
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| Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) : ripe fruits |
Fruits
are apple- or roughly pear-shaped, depending on species and cultivar. Fruits are 1 ½ to 2 ½ inches long,
yellow-green or pale orange, and remain hard even when ripe. Fruits ripen in October or November; a few
falling from the shrub (see above) is often a good sign the fruits are
mature. Ripe fruits are easy to pick.
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| Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) : making puree |
Like
pears and apples, fruits can be poached in wine or juice for a nice
cold-weather desert. They can also be used to make kitchen cordials. In fact, they can be used in any recipe that
calls for quince. They are high in Vitamin
C, antioxidants, pectin and fiber – and have a pleasant aroma and tart flavor. There
is current interest in developing hardy, high-producing cultivars for fruit
production [1].
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Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) : may become
a common domesticated fruit in the future.
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Flowering
Quince is easy to grow and hardy from USDA Zones 5-9. Choose a site where plants can grow to their
full size (read up on the characteristics of your cultivar) and where thorny
branches are not a problem. Best flowering/fruiting occurs in full sun,
although plants can tolerate some shade.
They are adaptable to many soil
types, but can become chlorotic (yellow leaves) in soils with pH above
7.5. If you have alkali soil, give
plants a yearly treatment with an acid fertilizer. Plants also benefit from a spring application
of compost.
Flowering
Quinces tolerate dry soils; you can probably get by with a deep summer watering
every other week in Western Colorado. Keep the area around and beneath quinces
well-weeded. Prune out dead, old
branches in winter (you may want to mark these in fall before plants lose their
leaves). Some cultivars tend to sucker, so watch and prune out suckers if
desired. That’s really about all there
is to routine care.
Cultivars have different
susceptibilities to diseases and pests, so be sure to learn the characteristics
of the plant you choose. As members of the
Rose Family, apple scab can cause significant summer defoliation; and scale,
mites and aphids can be problematic. In wet years, plants may be susceptible to
fungal leaf spot. Watch especially for Fire blight and prune out affected
branches with sterile pruners. Rabbits
may eat twigs in winter.
Flowering
quinces make a great addition to an Asian-themed garden – even a small one. They are often used as border shrubs and are ‘wild’
enough in appearance to be appropriate for a woodland garden. Plants
make a good hedge, although hedge-pruning reduces flowering and fruiting. The
thorny types make great barrier plants.
Flowering quinces are appropriate for home fruit orchards, providing an
interesting and unusual alternative to more common fruits. And massed Chaenomeles provide a spectacular
– if short-lived – floral display in early spring.
Flowering
Quinces are used as medicinal plants in Asia, often as an anti-inflammatory in
joint and muscle problems. They are also
used to treat and cure seasonal respiratory illness, and as a general tonic to
stimulate health or recovery from illness.
For more on the medicinal properties of Chaenomeles, see
references 4 and 5.
In
summary, the Chaenomeles species provide an interesting alternative to garden
shrubs commonly planted in western Colorado and the Four Corners states. You might want to consider one for your own
home garden.
For plant
information sheets on Western native plants see: http://nativeplantscsudh.blogspot.com/p/gallery-of-native-plants_17.html
__________________
- https://hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/ncnu02/v5-385.html
- https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2018/9/quince/
- https://permaculturenews.org/2017/01/16/quincessential-guide-japanese-quince-chaenomeles-speciosa/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3917013/
- http://www.itmonline.org/articles/chaenomeles/chaenomeles.htm
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