Herb: Dwarf Quince


Latin name: Chaenomeles japonica


Synonyms: Chaenomeles maulei, Cydonia japonica, Cydonia maulei, Pyrus japonica, Pyrus maulei


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Edible parts of Dwarf Quince:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Very harsh and acid raw but fragrant when cooked, imparting a strong pleasant flavour to jams and jellies, it is especially good cooked with apples in apple pies. The fruit is apple-shaped and about 4cm in diameter. The rich aromatic juice, as tart as a lemon, is squeezed and used for culinary purposes.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Shrub

Height:
100 cm
(3 1/4 foot)

Flowering:
April

Habitat of the herb:

Woods in low mountains, C. and S. Japan.

Other uses of Dwarf Quince:

Plants sucker freely and can be used as a ground cover. The form C. japonica alpina grows to about half the size of the species, it is especially suitable and can be planted about 1 metre apart each way.

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. Easy. 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. Division of suckers in late winter. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.

Cultivation of Dwarf Quince:

Woods in low mountains, C. and S. Japan.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Chaenomeles japonica:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.