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A Perfect Perennial: Flowering Quince 'Crimson & Gold'

BY Kevin Lee Jacobs | April 13, 2010 12 Comments

Last updated on December 2nd, 2011


IN MY GARDEN, there are a number of perennials which I consider “perfect,” because they demand so little attention from me. Take, for instance, the flowering quince pictured above. This self-sufficient Chaenomelis x superba ‘Crimson & Gold’ thrives in full sun and average soil. It tolerates drought well, and attracts nary a pest. The plant never fails to steal the show in April, when hundreds of yellow-stamened, ravishing-red blossoms emerge on its weeping, 3-foot form. But that’s only the beginning of its long and lavish performance:

By the time the flowers fade, superba covers itself with sparkling, green leaves, which persist until the first hard frost of autumn. This is the time when large, golden-skinned fruit is revealed. The fruit, which turns pink when boiled, is prized by cooks, for it makes a splendid, tart jelly. And if you leave the fruit on the shrub, as I do, it makes a gourmet feast for wintering birds.

You might like this drought-tolerant, pest- and disease-free flowering quince for your garden, too. It is, I assure you, a perfect perennial.

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Comments

  1. 1

    Justin says

    April 13, 2010 at 7:14 pm

    OK – I'm sold! How many years does it take before the plant produces fruit? Do you ever fertilize it?

  2. 2

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 13, 2010 at 11:49 pm

    Justin – Crimson and Gold, which came to me in a half-gallon pot during the summer of 2007, produced fruit that autumn. I have never fed the plant, nor have I provided it with supplemental watering, save for its first summer here. It's a happy plant that doesn't seem to mind my neglect!

  3. 3

    Adele says

    April 14, 2010 at 11:54 am

    I have this C&G quince, too. It is a no-fuss plant, and the blooms last for 3 weeks. Mine is in bloom now, and it's GORGEOUS.

  4. 4

    Erin says

    April 14, 2010 at 9:54 pm

    Ours just came into bloom the other day. It is quite overgrown. Do you recommend pruning and if so when…

  5. 5

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 15, 2010 at 12:17 am

    Erin – prune immediately after the flowers fade. Wear heavy gloves as you go about the job; the stems are very thorny!

  6. 6

    erin says

    April 15, 2010 at 10:41 am

    thanks!

  7. 7

    mary white says

    April 20, 2010 at 2:34 am

    We seem to have white fly infestation in our mature quince- bothers me more than the bushes.

    What to do?

  8. 8

    Kevin Lee Jacobs says

    April 20, 2010 at 1:31 pm

    Welcome, Mary. As the weather warms, check your quince for ladybugs and lacewings. These beneficial insects will eradicate any whitefly-infestation.

    Malathion is a faster cure, if you are willing to wage all-out chemical warfare. Be sure to spray the shrub thoroughly, including the underside of leaves.

    Hope to “see” you around here again!

  9. 9

    Susan Gray says

    May 12, 2015 at 11:48 am

    We planted a Crimson & Gold Quince a few weeks ago. It is in full sun but the leaves are starting to have part brown part green. We may not have watered it enough the first week but have watered since then if we haven’t gotten enough rain. Can anyone help us? We don’t want to lose it.

    Thank you

  10. 10

    Herbert says

    June 16, 2015 at 10:29 pm

    I planted a crimson and gold few years ago but it did not bloom only with few flowers each year. I am so disappointed and do not know what to do. It glows very fast and with healthy leaves and branches but just did not bloom! I am living in Toronto Canada and I wonder if temperature is too cold here.

  11. 11

    Gerry says

    January 27, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    Herbert, it your shrub is growing fast and the leaves look lush, but produces few flowers, you may have given it too much Nitrogen and not enough Phosphorus. Apply a “bloom” fertilizer, that is, one with a middle number higher than the other two. Nitrogen promotes green growth, whereas Phosphorus promotes flowering.

  12. 12

    Debbie says

    July 1, 2016 at 10:12 am

    We had these beautiful plants planted for the low maintenance and beauty. However, their roots are spreading and keep popping up plants everywhere and now takes quiet some time to clean it back up. Is this supposed to happen? How do I keep it under better control if possible?

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