Botanica Atlanta - Landscape Design, Construction & Maintenance

Everyone has seen the beauty of apples in blossom each spring, but not so many are familiar with the blossom of the quince bush.  This bright red blossom appears before the leaves come out and brighten the rather bland late winter landscapes. 
 

The quince fruit comes from the bush Cydonia oblonga which is a genus containing just the one shrub.  Remarkably, this shrub has not yet caught the attention of the hybridizers, and so remains essentially the same thing that was grown in gardens by our grandparents.

Quince does tend to come in two forms though, albeit that they have the same name, so pick your plant carefully.  Look for one with strong upward growth rather than one with a group of lateral branches that spread over the ground.  Both seem to produce fruit, but the upright version makes a much better shrub in the landscape. 

The new growth is mid brown and has a slightly chestnut tinge to it.  These mature to dark stems.  The mature stems also have long barbs on them!  A mature bush will grow to about six to ten feet in height, and the same across.  The bright orange/red flowers arrive in early spring before the leaves, and by late summer the squat pear-shaped fruit will mature. When ripe the skin is thick and yellow, and the fruit is hard.

Old upright quince bushes can be rejuvenated, if care and time is taken.  Some new growth occurs each year from the crown.  Remove some of the oldest branches to encourage these new stems. If this is done over a matter of several years, the whole bush will return to health. Fruit is borne on the newer branches, so encouraging new growth will also increase the fruit production.

Quince fruit can be made into jams and jellies which are a bright pink in color. For a recipe see:

http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/001455quince_jelly.php