Mother Nature's Montrose Garden: Plant of the Month (December) : Flowering Quince

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species)

Last month we featured our Japanese Crab Apple, chosen by the former owners as an anchor plant for their Japanese-themed garden (https://mothernaturesmontrosegarden.blogspot.com/2019/11/plant-of-month-november-japanese.html). This month, we feature another of our heritage fruiting plants, the Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species). Both of these plants, while not Colorado natives, have much to recommend them. And both do well in the gardens of western Colorado.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

While small, the fruits of Flowering Quince are similar in flavor (and other qualities) to the true quince. All require cooking to enhance their flavor and soften their texture. Many quince fruits also attain a soft peach tint with cooking. Quince can be used to make jelly, quince butter, syrups and puree. For tips on making fruit puree see: https://mothernaturesmontrosegarden.blogspot.com/2019/11/colorado-gourmet-making-fruit-purees.html.

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].

Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles species) : may become

a common domesticated fruit in the future.

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

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We welcome your comments (below). You can also send your questions to: monaturesmontrosegarden@gmail.com

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Plant of the Month (December) : Flowering Quince – Chaenomeles species and hybrids

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