Flowering Quince
Chaenomeles speciosa · Rosaceae · 명자꽃
How to spot it
Slanting branches, thorns on one-year-old twigs, and finely toothed leaves (in Chaenomeles japonica the stem lies close to the ground and the teeth are blunt).
Look
- Leaves
- Elliptic or long elliptic, pointed at the tip and base, 4 to 8 cm long and 1.5 to 5 cm wide, finely toothed. Stipules are ovate or lanceolate and fall early.
- Flowers
- In April to May, 1 or several flowers 2.5 to 3.5 cm across bloom on short twigs; five petals in white, pink or red, 30 to 50 stamens and 5 styles.
- Fruit
- Oval and resembling a quince, about 10 cm, ripening yellow in fall; the inside is hard but has a fragrant, sour scent.
- Bark
- Dark purple.
Where it grows
- Ecology
- Likes sunny sites and grows poorly in dry places; well-drained, moisture-retaining sandy loam is good.