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Flowering Quince

Chaenomeles (kee-nah-MAH-leez spe-see-OH-sah)

Family: Rosaceae Unknown Shrub (3-15 ft)

'Toyo-Nishiki' is a deciduous suckering shrub with a rounded spreading form that grows up to 8 feet high and wide. Remove suckers immediately if spreading is not desired. 'Toyo-Nishiki' flowers are a rare combination of red, white and pink flowers, sometimes with all three colors on the same flower. Cut branches with swollen flower buds may be forced indoors, making a welcomed winter flower arrangement. Quinces are easy to grow in acidic, average, well-drained garden soils. The preference is for well-drained loams but it is adaptable to a wide range of soil types. Best flowering occurs in full sun but it tolerates some shade. They can tolerate some drought once established. Plants bloom on old growth so prune sparingly after flowering to remove diseased or broken branches and lightly shape. Over pruning will reduce fruit production for the current year. Be careful of the thorns. Use this shrub as a hedge, specimen or in groups. It can be trained to grow against a wall or trellis. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Fireblight and scab can be problems in some areas. Aphids can cause significant damage to new growth. Other pests include scale and mites. Chlorosis (yellowing of foliage) will occur in high pH soils. Frost damage to spring buds can occur. More information on Chaenomeles speciosa .

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 62 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 3 - Shrub (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Fills a similar niche Cercis 'Merlot' Chaenomeles speciosa Double Take™ Peach 'NCCS4' Passiflora incarnata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand; Shallow Rocky
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 5 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low; Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed; Rounded
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Up to 3.5-inch long oval to oblong, serrated, glossy dark green leaves.
Flower color
Pink; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
2-inch 5-petaled blooms appear solitary or 2-4 per cluster in white, red and pink on the same branch. Blooms March to April before the leaves appear.
Bloom time
Spring; Winter
Fruit color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Pome
Fruit value
Edible; Fragrant
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
Fruit yellowish-green with a reddish blush, fragrant and speckled with small dots. Ripens in early fall.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver
Stem detail
Thorny gray-brown stems.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Wildlife value
Birds are attracted to the fruit.
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attractive Flowers; Colorful
Food & Medicine
Edible parts
Fruit
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Pome

Edibility

The fruits can be used in jellies and jams. Raw fruit is bitter.

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Coastal; Lawn; Slope/Bank; Vertical Spaces
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; Edible Garden
Design feature
Border; Hedge; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#mixed borders #deciduous #drought tolerant #heat tolerant #specimen #pollinator plant #showy flowers #edible fruits #shrub #white flowers #pink flowers #clay soils tolerant #bird friendly #showstopper #red flowers #bee friendly #cutting garden #showy fruits
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Messy; Spines/Thorns
Resistant to
Deer; Drought; Rabbits
Propagation
Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.