Japanese Quince (chaenomeles Japonica)
30-50cm
£2.28
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Japanese Quince (chaenomeles Japonica)
£2.28
A compact, thorny deciduous shrub (typically 0.5–1.5 m tall, 1–2.5 m spread) prized for its early spring cup-shaped orange-red flowers on bare stems (valuable nectar for bees), glossy foliage, hardiness (fully hardy across the UK), and aromatic yellow autumn fruits ideal for jams, jellies or membrillo (remove seeds). It suits low hedges, barriers, specimens or wall training, tolerates most soils and needs little maintenance.
Planting advice
- Plant while dormant, November–March, avoiding frozen or waterlogged ground.
- Choose full sun to partial shade in moist but well-drained soil (any type: chalk, clay, loam or sand; may show chlorosis on very alkaline soil).
- Space 3 plants per metre for hedging or ~1 m for a specimen.
- On arrival, keep roots moist; plant promptly (or heel in temporarily).
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the root spread and deep enough so the previous soil mark/crown sits at soil level.
- Optionally mix in organic matter (compost or well-rotted manure) if soil is poor; spread roots out, backfill, firm gently and water thoroughly.
- Mulch around the base (keep clear of stems), keep weed-free and water during dry spells in the first year.
Photo credit: Tomasz Bienias, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)