Plants
Flowering Quince
Chaenomeles · Rosaceae
Flowering quince is among the earliest flowering shrubs of the year: from March, bowl-shaped blooms in brick red, salmon, pink or white open directly on the still-bare, thorny wood — like little apple blossoms on dark branches. In autumn come yellow, wonderfully fragrant fruits that can be cooked into jelly. The shrub itself is undemanding, extremely hardy and valuable as early-spring bee forage.
- Light
- Sun to semi-shade; full sun gives the most flowers and fruit.
- Watering
- Undemanding; once established, water only in long dry spells.
- Care level
- Easy
- Botanical
- Chaenomeles
The trade mainly offers the low Japanese quince (up to about a metre) and the larger Chaenomeles superba hybrids such as brick-red „Crimson and Gold“, salmon-pink „Cameo“ or pure white „Nivalis“. Newer, nearly thornless selections of the „Cido“ line target fruit production — the so-called Nordic lemon.
The flowers sit on short spurs of older wood and appear from March to May, often before the leaves. For bees and bumblebees this is one of the first productive nectar sources of the year. Cut branches also force beautifully: cut from late January, they open their buds in the vase — a classic of early spring bouquets alongside forsythia and cherry branches.
The apple-shaped yellow fruits ripen in October and smell intensely of lemon and quince. Raw they are rock hard and sour, but not poisonous; cooked they make an aromatic jelly and are rich in vitamin C and pectin. Only the seeds — as with apples — should not be eaten in quantity, as they contain amygdalin.
About position, flowering quince is easy: full sun brings the richest bloom and best fruit set, semi-shade is tolerated. It grows in any free-draining garden soil and copes with heat and hard frost alike. Only on very limy soils can chlorosis appear, with yellowing leaves — acidic mulch and iron-rich fertiliser then help.
Pruning is minimal and done straight after flowering: thin overly dense sections and shorten straggly growth — next year's flowers form on the remaining short spurs. Thanks to its thorns, flowering quince also makes an excellent, impenetrable low hedge, whose value for nesting birds deserves consideration when cutting.
Is Flowering Quince toxic to children and pets?
- Children
- Non-toxic
- Cats
- Non-toxic
- Dogs
- Non-toxic
Flowering quince is considered non-toxic to cats, dogs and children; the fruits are even edible when cooked. Raw they are hard and sour but harmless. Only the seeds — like apple pips — should not be eaten in quantity, as they contain amygdalin. The thorns can cause injuries.
Overview: toxic & non-toxic plants for cats, dogs and children
Care
- 01Sunny position for the richest bloom and fruit set; semi-shade is possible.
- 02Any free-draining garden soil; prevent chlorosis on very limy soils.
- 03Thin lightly straight after flowering; it needs no more pruning than that.
- 04Very drought-tolerant once established; water only young plants regularly.
- 05Wear gloves when working on the shrub — the thorns are substantial.
- 06Harvest the fruit in October and cook it into jelly or syrup.
Frequently asked
- Can you eat flowering quince fruit?
- Yes — but not raw. Fresh, the yellow fruits are rock hard and extremely sour; cooked, their high pectin and vitamin C content makes an excellent jelly, syrup or quince paste. Remove the seeds, which like apple pips contain amygdalin and should not go into the pot.
- Is flowering quince toxic to dogs or cats?
- No, Chaenomeles is considered non-toxic to dogs, cats and people — fallen fruit poses no poisoning risk either. The real hazard is the sturdy thorns, on which curious animals can hurt themselves. Otherwise, flowering quince is a completely safe choice for a family garden.
- When does flowering quince bloom?
- Depending on cultivar and weather, from March to May; in mild winters the first flowers open as early as February. The blooms appear before or with the leaves, directly on the older wood. Cut branches can be forced in the vase from late January and flower there after two to three weeks.
- How do you prune flowering quince?
- Sparingly and straight after flowering: thin dense sections, remove old shoots near the ground, lightly shorten long canes. The flowers form on short spurs of the older wood — a hard cutback or summer hedge trim clearly reduces the following year's bloom. Do not forget gloves.