Chaenomeles japonica
Dwarf Quince

Uses

Edible uses

Notes

Fruit - raw or cooked^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]^[6]. Very harsh and acid raw but fragrant when cooked, imparting a strong pleasant flavour to jams and jellies^[7]^[8], it is especially good cooked with apples in apple pies[K]. The fruit is apple-shaped and about 4cm in diameter^[8]. The rich aromatic juice, as tart as a lemon, is squeezed and used for culinary purposes^[6].

Fruit

Unknown use

Material uses

Plants sucker freely and can be used as a ground cover. The form C. japonica alpina grows to about half the size of the species, it is especially suitable and can be planted about 1 metre apart each way^[9].

There are no material uses listed for Chaenomeles japonica.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Chaenomeles japonica.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Soil surface

Ecological Functions

Ground cover

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sheltered position outdoors or in a cold frame^[8]. Sow stored seed in February in a greenhouse^[10]. Germination usually takes place within 6 weeks^[10]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. If well grown, these seedling can be large enough to plant out in the summer, but give them some protection in their first winter. Otherwise plant them out in late spring of the following year[K].

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame^[4]. Easy^[11]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, November in a cold frame. Layering in late spring or in autumn. This is a sure and easy method, though it takes 12 months^[10]^[8].

Division of suckers in late winter^[11]. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Chaenomeles japonica. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Easily cultivated in any reasonably good soil^[7]. Prefers a deep moist well-drained loam^[3]^[4]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates full shade but requires a sunny position for best fruit production^[2]^[4]^[8]. Becomes chlorotic on very alkaline soils^[8]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution^[8].

A very ornamental plant^[7], it is hardy to about -25°c^[8] and fruits freely in Britain^[4]. Plants are occasionally cultivated for their edible fruit^[6]. This species is closely allied to C. speciosa^[4]. A good bee plant, flowering early in the year and providing pollen and nectar^[12].

Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus^[8].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Chaenomeles japonica. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Chaenomeles japonica.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? ^1.0^1.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)
? ^2.0^2.1^2.2 Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-5531-7 (1972-00-00)
? ^3.0^3.1^3.2 Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (1984-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1^4.2^4.3^4.4^4.5^4.6^4.7 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? ^8.00^8.01^8.02^8.03^8.04^8.05^8.06^8.07^8.08^8.09^8.10 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? ^9.0^9.1 Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons ISBN 0-460-12609-1 (1990-00-00)
? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
? ^11.0^11.1 Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press ISBN 0942375009 (1987-00-00)
? International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. (1981-00-00)
? Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution (1965-00-00)

"image:Chaenomeles japonica RB.JPG|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-2-1] ? ^1.0^1.1 Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications ISBN 0-486-20459-6 (1972-00-00)

[PFAFimport-3-2] ? ^2.0^2.1^2.2 Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles ISBN 0-7153-5531-7 (1972-00-00)

[PFAFimport-4-3] ? ^3.0^3.1^3.2 Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin ISBN 0-14-046-440-9 (1984-00-00)

[PFAFimport-11-4] ? ^4.0^4.1^4.2^4.3^4.4^4.5^4.6^4.7 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-177-5] ? ^5.0^5.1 Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books ISBN 3874292169 (1984-00-00)

[PFAFimport-183-6] ? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3 Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-1-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-8] ? ^8.00^8.01^8.02^8.03^8.04^8.05^8.06^8.07^8.08^8.09^8.10 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-208-9] ? ^9.0^9.1 Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons ISBN 0-460-12609-1 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-78-10] ? ^10.0^10.1^10.2 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)

[PFAFimport-113-11] ? ^11.0^11.1 Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press ISBN 0942375009 (1987-00-00)

[PFAFimport-108-12] ? International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-58-13] ? Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution (1965-00-00)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Rosaceae +
Belongs to genus	Chaenomeles +
Functions as	Ground cover +
Has common name	Dwarf Quince +
Has drought tolerance	Intolerant +
Has edible part	Fruit +
Has edible use	Unknown use +
Has fertility type	Bee +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone	5 +
Has image	Chaenomeles japonica RB.JPG +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has mature height	1 +
Has mature width	2 +
Has primary image	Chaenomeles japonica RB.JPG +
Has search name	chaenomeles japonica + and x +
Has shade tolerance	Permanent shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teclayture preference	Clay +
Has soil teheavy clayture preference	Heavy clay +
Has soil teloamyture preference	Loamy +
Has soil tesandyture preference	Sandy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomy name	Chaenomeles japonica +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Inhabits ecosystem niche	Soil surface +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Deciduous +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +