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Also known as: Chaenomeles
Written by
Melissa Petruzzello
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Japanese quince
Category: Arts & Culture
flowering quince, (genus Chaenomeles), genus of three species of flowering plants in the rose family (Rosaceae), native to eastern Asia. Flowering quince is cultivated primarily as an ornamental for its showy flowers, though its astringent applelike fruit can be used in preserves and liqueurs and holds some potential as an alternate fruit crop. The members of the genus are related to traditional quince (Cydonia oblonga) and Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis).
Physical description
All three species of flowering quince are spiny deciduous shrubs that bear simple alternately arranged leaves with serrated (toothed) margins. Blooming in late winter or early spring, the flowers have five petals and can be up to 4.5 cm (1.8 inches) in diameter. The fruit is a pome.
Britannica Quiz
Fruit or Vegetable? A Quiz
The plants are susceptible to a number of diseases, including fungal leaf spot, apple scab, fire blight, and cedar-quince rust.
Major species
The Chinese flowering quince (Chaenomeles cathayensis) reaches 3 metres (9.8 feet) in height. It produces white to pink flowers and bears the largest fruit of the genus, 15 cm (5.9 inches) long. The Japanese quince (C. japonica) is popularly grown in bonsai and has provided several horticultural varieties with red, pink, or white flowers. The common flowering quince (C. speciosa), frequently used in informal hedges, bears red, pink, or white flowers and grows to about 2 metres (6.6 feet).
