Herb: Chinese Quince


Latin name: Pseudocydonia sinensis


Synonyms: Chaenomeles sinensis, Cydonia sinensis, Malus sinensis


Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family)



Medicinal use of Chinese Quince:

The fruit is antitussive. It contains several medically active constituents including organic acids plus the flavonoids rutin and quercetin. It is used in Korea to treat asthma, the common cold, sore throats, mastitis and tuberculosis.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Deciduous
Tree

Height:
6 m
(20 feet)

Flowering:
April
to May

Habitat of the herb:

Found at elevations around 1000 metres in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong and Zhejiang Provinces.

Edible parts of Chinese Quince:

Fruit - eaten as a sweetmeat, candied, preserved in syrup or made into a liqueur. The juice can also be mixed with ginger and made into a beverage. The fruit is very large, up to 18cm long.

Other uses of the herb:

The fruits are very aromatic and are placed in a bowl to impart a delightful spicy scent to a room. Wood - hard, dark red. Used for picture frames.

Propagation of Chinese Quince:

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification and should be sown as early in the year as possible. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Layering.

Cultivation of the herb:

Found at elevations around 1000 metres in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hebei, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Shaanxi, Shandong and Zhejiang Provinces.

Known hazards of Pseudocydonia sinensis:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.