Description
Cydonia – Quince –
There is a single species of a deciduous small tree or shrub, with an umbrella like crown, in this genus. It occurs in woodland margins and on rocky slopes in Southwestern Asia. The elliptic to ovate or oval leaves are arranged alternately and have downy undersides. It has smooth bark. Attractive, shallowly bowl shaped flowers are held solitary at the ends of the spur shoots, have downy calyces and pink petals followed by pear like, waxy, ornamental fruit, which is pleasantly aromatic and edible when cooked. Excellent free standing and fruits best with long hot summers.
Grow in deep fertile, moist but well drained soil in full sun, with protection from wind.
Prone to scale insects, caterpillars, mealybugs, aphids, Japanese beetles, fire blight, powdery mildew, brown rot, gymnosporangium rust, and crown gall.
Cydonia oblonga ‘Lusitanica’ – Common Quince – This vigorous, rounded tree or shrub grows 12-15′ feet tall and wide. It has crowded branches and is fork low into crooked limbs. From downy young twigs it carries broadly ovate, dark green leaves, gray hairy beneath, to 4″ long. On current years growth it bears solitary, attractive pale pink to white flowers, 1 ½” across are borne in late spring. It produces round to pear shaped, aromatic, edible, light dark yellow fruit, 4″ long with a thick, gray downy skin, which ripen in autumn, are used for flavoring and in preserves.
Zones 5-8
