Herb: Chinese Quince


Latin name: Chaenomeles cathayensis


Synonyms: Chaenomeles laganaria cathayensis, Cydonia cathayensis


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Chinese Quince:

The fruit is antiemetic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic and digestive. It is used in the treatment of rheumatic pain, convulsions of the calf muscles, vomiting, dyspepsia and diarrhoea.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
3 m
(9 3/4 foot)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Scrub and hedges in W. Hubei. Slopes, forest margins and roadsides at elevations of 900 - 2500 metres.

Edible parts of Chinese Quince:

Fruit - very harsh raw but fragrant when cooked. It makes an excellent jelly and a very good jam, it is especially good cooked with apples in apple pies. The fruit is very large and can be 15cm long and 9cm wide.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sheltered position outdoors or in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in February in a greenhouse. Germination usually takes place within 6 weeks. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. If well grown, these seedling can be large enough to plant out in the summer, but give them some protection in their first winter. Otherwise plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, November in a cold frame. Layering in late spring or in autumn. This is a sure and easy method, though it takes 12 months.

Cultivation of Chinese Quince:

Scrub and hedges in W. Hubei. Slopes, forest margins and roadsides at elevations of 900 - 2500 metres.

Known hazards of Chaenomeles cathayensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.