Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden

The flowering quince is a small, dense deciduous shrub native to China that has become a favorite in Southern gardens. With a compact, mounding habit and tolerance to a wide range of soil types, cultivar ‘Compacta’ is a great choice for small spaces that need a showy pop of color and texture. Flowering quince blooms in late winter to very early spring and showcases bunches of white to creamy pink flowers. The stems are curly, offering interesting winter texture in addition to their early flowers. By late summer flowering quince bears small golden fruits that make excellent jams. Stems can be thorny but require little maintenance, making Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Contorta’ an excellent addition to the home landscape. 

With a mature size of only 2-3 feet in both height and width flowering quince functions just as well in a hedge as it does as a specimen planting. It is tolerant of shade but prefers full sun, and a mature plant is hardy to cold and salt exposure. A flowering quince can be found next to the sugar kettle fountain just before the entrance to the kitchen garden. Our specimen is already beginning to bloom and will be in full flower by mid to late March.