Appearance

Growth form

A thorny, twiggy deciduous shrub usually 6–12 ft (1.8–3.7 m) tall.

Leaves

Glossy, dark green leaves are oval with finely toothed edges, about 1.5–3.5 in (4–9 cm) long. New leaves come out bronzy red.

Flowers

Flowers are 1–3 in (2.5–7.5 cm) across, usually scarlet to red, but pink, orange, and white cultivars are common.

Flowering time

Blooms in early spring before the leaves fully open; in North Carolina that's around March into April.

Fruit

The fruit is a hard, fragrant, apple-shaped pome about 2–2.5 in (5–6 cm) across and yellow-green. It's too hard and bitter to eat raw but can be made into jelly and preserves.

Look-alikes

Where it lives

Typical habitats

• Yards and gardens
• Parks
• Hedges

Range

Native to China. In the U.S. it's a planted garden shrub, not a native plant. In New England it has been found growing outside gardens in Connecticut and Massachusetts, at forest edges and in disturbed spots.

Preferred conditions

Blooms best in full sun but tolerates part shade. It adapts to clay, loam, or sandy soil as long as it drains well, but it doesn't like alkaline soil.

Flowering

Flowers Mar–Apr

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Flowers

Flowers Mar–Apr

Name and classification

Varieties and forms

Some garden flowering quinces are hybrids of this species and Japanese quince (Chaenomeles japonica), called Chaenomeles × superba.

Conservation

IUCN Red List

NENot Evaluated·Not yet assessed