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Andrew McCredie Layne Christensen

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NEWS photo Terry Peters
THE QUINCE bush, if growing under ideal fall conditions, wii! pro-
duce a crop of apzle-sized, yeitowisti-green fruit that are very hard
and waxy to the touch, :

, comler
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STORIES

A FEW weeks ago 1 was
invited to a friend’s gar-
den to josk at a quince
tree and sample some
fruit.

Thad often heard about
quince trees in England and the
Mediterranean but had never
scen one growing locally. You
may be saying ta yourself “Oh, I
have one of those in my garden.

They're quite common.”

However, the local plant that
is often calied a quince —
japonica quince or just a japoni-
ca bush -— is a different but
closely reiated relative of the true quince. The
word japonica is just latin for japanese and is used
as an adjective. The correct name for the plant is
Chacnomales japonica or C. lagenaria or flowering
Japanese quince. These plants and several other
members of the species all belong to the rose fami-
ly.

The Japanese flowering quince is very hardy
and will grow from one to three metres (3.3 to 10
ft.) high, producing a great show of flowers in mid
to late Spring. The color ranges from light pink to
salmon and red.

fn the Fall the bush, if growing under ideal con-
ditions, will produce a crop of apple-sized. yellow-
ish-green fruit that are very hard and waxy to the
touch, The fruit can be made into jelly but is not
widely used.

Renewal pruning for this plant is normally done
in the spring after the Mowering period. I have
found you can bring the blooms into. better view
by pruning off some of the new growth on the

Roy

longer branches before flowering begins.

The true quince is native to Iran and Turkestan

Jonsson -

Friday, November 3, 1995 ~ North Shore News ~ 43

~

and is a species unto itself. lt is
called Cydonia oblonga (or vul-
garis) and has been in cultiva-
tion for a least 2,000 years. It is
common throughout the
Mediterranean lands, much of
western Europe and New
Zealand but is not widely grown
in North America.

_ The tree will grow up to.
eight metres (26.5 ft.) and has
dark preen leaves that are quite
similar in shape and size to
apple leaves. The underside of

vo the leaf is covered with a soft
sow it grows fuzzy coating which may give
the tree additional protection
from disease.

Unlike most fruit trees, the quince needs little
pruning except to remove branches that are
inclined to grow inward.

As an ornamental tree, the quince produces
lovely white to light pink spring olossoms that
contrast nicely against the dark green leaves. The
blooms are self-pollenating and will produce a
very good crop of fruit if the weather is favorable.

_ By late September or early October the fruit
will tum yellow and be covered with a peach-like.
fuzz. With a little polishing the fruit takes on a
bright gold color and will make a fine display in a
seasonal fruit bow!. As ihe name “oblonga” sug-
gests, the shape of the fruit is somewhat ‘like a
lumpy pear, and in spite of the hardness of the
fruit, the skin will bruise easily and care must be
taken when picking.

Unlike most fruit, the quince cannot be eaten
raw as it is quite woody and has a tart and astrin-
gent quality to it. When cooked it takes on a spicy,

" See Quince page 15