Chaenomeles speciosa
Common name: 
Flowering Quince
Pronunciation: 
kie-NOM-e-lez spe-si-O-sa
Family: 
Rosaceae
Genus: 
Synonyms: 
Cydonia speciosa
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous shrub, 6-10 ft (2-3 m) high, similar or greater spread, rounded outline, sometimes erect, tangled and dense twiggy mass, spiny branches.  Leaves alternate, simple, ovate to oblong, 4-9 cm long, sharply serrate, lustrous dark green above, stipules large on current seasons growth.  Flowers (red, pink to white) start to appear before leaves in spring (sporadically in fall), solitary or 2-4 per cluster, about 4 cm across, showy.  Fruit yellowish green with reddish blush, 5-6 cm long, fragrant, speckled with small dots, ripen in early fall.
  • Sun (best for full flowering) to partial shade.  Adaptable to many soil conditions, does well in dry situations.  Easy to grow.  Prune to remove older branches, or cut to 15 cm above ground to renew.  New growth bears next year's flowers.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 4     Native to China.
  • A number of cultivars, including:
    • 'Cameo': actually C. x supurba (C. japonica x C. speciosa), low form, thornless, flowers double, apricot pink.
    • 'Jet Trail': low growing, 2-3 ft, white flowers.
    • 'Nivalis': upright, vigorous, white flowers.
    • 'Orange Delight': low spreading plant, bright orange flowers.
    • 'Texas Scarlet': compact, low growing, spreading, profuse tomato-red flowers.
    • 'Toyo-nishiki': upright shrub, 6 ft, with white, pink and red flowers on the same branch.
  • speciosa: showy, the flowers
  • Oregon State Univ. campus: north of Withycomb in shrubbery on south side of parking lot; white flowering type in area southwest of Burt.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, flowering

    plant habit, flowering

  • flowering branches

    flowering branches

  • flowering branches

    flowering branches

  • flowers

    flowers

  • flowers and emerging leaves

    flowers and emerging leaves

  • stem, thorn

    stem, thorn

  • fruit

    fruit

  • new growth, some selections

    new growth, some selections

  • plant habit, late spring

    plant habit, late spring

  • plant habit, summer

    plant habit, summer

  • leaves and stipules

    leaves and stipules

  • winter twigs, buds

    winter twigs, buds

  • winter buds

    winter buds