Featured Flower: Flowering Quince

Flowering quince is a deciduous, spiny shrub of the rose family (genus Chaenomeles), with vibrant red flowers followed by round white, green, or yellow edible fruits.  They are native to Japan, China, and Korea.  They blossom as early as January, and are very well suited for ikebana floral arrangements.  Even though all quince species have flowers, gardeners in the West often refer to these species as “flowering quince,” since Chaenomeles are typically grown ornamentally for their flowers, and not for their fruits.