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Key characteristics

Family: Oleaceae
Height: 6 to 10 feet
Width: 5 to 10 feet
Flower color: Vibrant yellow
Foliage color: Bright green
Bloom time: Early spring
Light: Prefers full sun to partial shade
Water: Somewhat drought-tolerant once established
Maintenance: Relatively low-maintenance. Pruning should be done immediately after flowering to control size and shape
Growing zone: Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8
Wildlife: The flowers attract bees and other pollinators

Shrubs

Chaenomeles speciosa

Flowering Quince

Chaenomeles speciosa, or Flowering Quince, is a deciduous shrub native to China, Korea, and Japan, known for its scarlet red flowers that bloom in early spring before the leaves emerge. Growing 6 to 10 feet tall and wide, it has glossy dark green leaves that turn reddish-purple in the fall. After blooming, it produces small, tart, apple-like fruits that ripen to a yellow-green in the fall, often used for jellies and preserves.

Light

Prefers full sun to partial shade

Water

Somewhat drought-tolerant once established

Bloom time

Early spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Sun Gardens
Foundation Plantings
Informal Hedges
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Spirea · Feather reed grass · Catmint · Shasta daisy · Candytuft · Ornamental onion

Design tip

Thorny, densely branched growth makes flowering quince useful where beauty and a sense of enclosure are both wanted. Along a property edge or garden boundary, its substantial form can create definition while the scarlet spring flowers keep the planting feeling ornamental rather than purely functional.

Printable plant sheet (PDF)