Seasonal Wild Flowers

Chinese Quince

Chaenomeles speciosa

Japonica, Flowering Quince, Cydonia,

Rosaceae

February to May and sporadically through the year,

including January.

It is scattered throughout the country, but is more common

in the South.

See the BSBI distribution map for Chinese Quince

It is a neophyte, which was introduced in the late

1700s and the early 1800s.

It was not recognised in the wild until the 1960s.

It is grown in gardens, parks and managed amenity areas.

The escape is found in woodland, hedgerows, scrub, rough

grassland and on waste ground

It is a shrub that grows up to 2m.

The flowers grow in clusters and are up to 5cm across.

They are bright red, orange or occasionally pink or white.

The fruits turn from green to yellow in the autumn.

Group of flowers and new leaves

Close up of flower

Fruit (quince) and mature leaf