Description
Chaenomeles – Flowering Quince –
There are about 3 species of deciduous, often thorny, multi stemmed shrubs, one is sometimes a small tree, in this genus. They occur in high altitude woodlands in China, Japan and Korea. They are grown for there early cup shaped flowers, which have 5 petals, that may be double, held singly or dense clusters, and for their apple like, edible, aromatic yellow to green or purplish green fruits, borne in autumn, and palatable when cooked. The borne in early spring, on bare tangled branches on previous years growth, are red, pink, or white. They produce alternately arranged, oval, simple toothed, deep green leaves. Grow in a shrub border or on a bank, or train against a wall. Some flowering quinces, such as C. japonica are useful as a ground cover or low hedging.
Grow in moderately fertile, well drained soil in sun or partial shade. Suitable for a lightly shaded wall, but bloom and fruit best in sun. They tolerate alkalinity, but may become chlorotic on very alkaline soils. Also tolerant of pollution and urban environments.
Prone to fireblight, canker, rust, apple mosaic virus, and scale insects.
C. cathayensis – This vigorous, upright shrub or small tree from China grows 10-20′ feet tall and wide. It produces lance shaped, pointed, finely toothed, glossy, mid green leaves, to 5″ long, often red felty coating beneath when young. In early and mid spring it bears white, salmon flushed flowers, to 1 ½” across, are carried in cluster of 2 or 3 bloom followed by large, yellow green fruit to 6″ long.
Zones 7-9
