Quince: Out of favor but not out of mind

It may not be as obvious as it is with fashion, music, and the arts, but gardening is also subject to changing trends over periods of time.  While many trends might be driven by what celebrities and other tastemakers are doing, gardening trends are often dictated by things like property sizes, the economy, and preferences for particular attributes.  As such, certain plants tend to go out of favor as the tides turn. 

One trend that I largely support, and seems to be more or less here to stay, is the use of landscape plants that have multiple seasons of ornamental interest. With property sizes being smaller and the average person having a limited budget for discretionary expenses like landscaping, it makes sense that, instead of choosing fewer plants that bloom for a few weeks and don’t do much else the rest of the year, many people choose more plants that look pretty in the spring when they flower, look pretty in the summer when they bear fruit, and look pretty again in the fall when their leaves change color before falling.  I’ve personally advocated that more people select plants this way. 

That’s not to say that there aren’t some worthwhile plants that are being left behind due to this shift in preference.  Quince, or Chaenomeles speciosa, is a shrub I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for, even though all of its ornamental value is tied to the relatively short amount of time it is in bloom each year. Quince are large shrubs in the rosacea family, often growing 8-12’ tall and wide, with a prolific spring bloom that looks like tiny rose blossoms.  Flowers may be red, pink, orange, or white.  A fruit does follow these blossoms, though it is not overly showy, and is often hidden somewhat by the dense foliage of this plant.  Similar to persimmon, your enjoyment of this fruit is likely related to your ability to recognize its full maturity.  Fruits are bitter and inedible when hard, but when they’ve softened they are more palatable and can be preserved or made into jelly.

Top left: Quince are large shrubs with showy blooms and stems. Photo: Acabashi, CC-BY-SA 4.0 Top right: ‘Orange Storm’ have a second set of petals, no thorns, and are compact, growing to about five feet tall and wide. ‘Orange Storm’ was bred at NC State. Bottom: Quince flowers resemble tiny rose blooms, and bloom prolifically in the spring. Blooms may be red, pink, orange, or white. Photo: Jonathan-Billinger, CC-BY-SA 2.0

Because of its size and density, quince can be used as a screen or hedge; however, for many gardeners, the size is another factor that has caused this plant to fall out of favor. Many gardeners are looking for small to medium sized shrubs that better fit their available space and require less pruning to stay under control.  The thorns on a typical quince branch are a bit unpleasant to navigate when pruning, I admit. 

Those who enjoy the appearance of quince, but prefer something smaller, might wish to try selections from the Double Take series, bred at NC State. This includes varieties like ‘Orange Storm,’ ‘Scarlet Storm,’ and ‘Eternal White.’ The name Double Take refers to the fact that the flowers have a second set of overlapping petals, thus making them double blooms.  The flowers are sterile, and the plants are thornless and more compact, growing to a size of about 5’ tall and wide.   

Matthew Stevens is the County Extension Director and Horticulture Agent for North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pitt County Center.  If you have questions about this article or gardening in general, please contact the Pitt County Master Gardener Infoline at 252-902-1705.