| Description |
Quince is a deciduous tree in the Rosaceae family (which also includes apples and pears) that produces fruits of the same name that are apple or pear-shaped, 7-12 cm long, and golden-yellow when ripe. Immature fruit are green and covered in gray-white hair, most of which rubs off by the time the fruit is ripe. Quince can also be grown for ornamental purposes because of their striking white to red blossoms, twisted branches, and large leaves with fuzzy undersides. Some varieties are bred specifically for ornamental purposes and will not produce good fruit. Do not confuse Quince with Chinese Quince (Chaenomeles sinensis), which is a flowering ornamental that fruits poorly. Quince trees are cold-hardy to -23.3 °C and have a winter chilling requirement of 100-500 hours depending on the cultivar. Quince flowers are hermaphroditic and the trees are self-pollinating, but they will have higher fruit yields if another quince variety is planted nearby for cross-pollination. Fruit ripen on the tree in 5-6 months and snap easily from the branch when ripe. Quince will continue to ripen and soften after harvest. Ripe fruit are deeply fragrant but usually too hard and tart to eat fresh. When cooked, Quince has a slightly spicy, deeply rich flavor that pairs well with dried fruit or apples. Some varieties have been bred for fresh eating, and leaving the fruits on the tree through a frost is said to make them sweeter. Seeds are poisonous in large quantities. Transplanted saplings will fruit in three years.
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