Flowering Quince

By Ms Sherry

Published: March 14, 2009

a flowering quince in full bloom

The flowering quince (chaenomeles) is just about the first thing to begin blooming in the garden each year; I have seen the quince in the photograph start to bloom in late January. This is an easy plant to grow; flowering quince doesn’t seem bothered by insects, diseases (except perhaps leaf spot in the summer), or deer. If it had one drawback, perhaps, that might be the thorns.  Flowering quince wants full sun and, like all plants, well-drained soil. It is neat to bring branches in the house and watch them bloom during late January. The branches loaded with blooms, additionally, make a glorious flower arrangement. The quince pictured here ( I don’t remember the cultivar) grows only about three feet tall and about five feet around. There are many, many cultivars of flowering quince available to the trade: some grow tall; others remain dwarf size. There is a wonderful assortment of colors, including coral, pink, red, white and, my most favorite, the one that sports pink and white and red blooms all on the same branch (‘Toyo Nishki’).

Flowering quince is a wonderful addition to your garden. It might almost be described as bullet-proof, a gardener’s favorite plant description.