Common Quince Leskovac- Cydonia oblonga

The Common Quince 'Leskovac' (synonym Lescovacka) is a very cold-resistant variety, immune to scab, with fruits that can weigh over 1.5kg. Quinces ripen in October-November, they are rounded and bosselated in pear shape, yellow-green in colour, covered with a light velvety film. Their highly fragrant flesh is firm and sweet. Astringent when raw, quince flesh reveals its flavour and aroma when cooked. It is delicious in compotes with apples, in jams, jellies, fruit pastes, in pies and crumbles, but also in sweet/savoury dishes. The tree is bushy, with small leaves. Its massive spring flowering, white-pink in colour, is an additional asset. It is a non-self-fertile variety: plant a 'Champion' quince nearby to promote pollination.

The common quince, in Latin Cydonia oblonga, belongs to the Rosaceae family, just like the apple tree and the pear tree. This shrub is native to temperate regions of the Caucasus and Iran, from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea: Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Caucasian Russia, Turkmenistan. It has naturalized in France, mainly in the Midi region. It is a small deciduous and hardy tree, with a spreading habit and a rounded crown, whose foliage falls in autumn. The cultivar 'Leskovac' was selected in former Yugoslavia. This variety is not fully self-fertile, fruit production will be satisfactory in the presence of another quince tree that blooms simultaneously. Production is good and regular in most regions.

The 'Leskovac' quince has a spreading habit, it develops multiple trunks and reaches an average height of 4.50m (15ft) with a width of 2.50m (8ft), depending on growing conditions. Its leaves are trailing, entire, measuring 6-7cm (2-3in) long, with a hairy edge. Their colour is medium green. Flowering occurs in April-May, it is mid-late and appears roughly at the same time as that of the 'Champion' quince. The flowers have 5 petals, white-pink in colour, and measure about 4cm (2in) in width. After pollination, the fruits form and reach maturity from October 15 onwards, depending on the regions. Quinces have an irregular and rounded pear shape, sometimes slightly heterogeneous in terms of size, each weighing from 200g up to 1.5kg. When immature, they are green and covered with a fuzzy down. They lose much of this down before the end of autumn when the fruit changes colour and turns yellow. They are very hard fruits, with thick skin, containing firm flesh of pale yellow to whitish color, sweet and pleasantly fragrant. The fruit core contains brown seeds.

Easy to grow, the 'Leskovac' quince likes sunny locations, rich soils, deep, without excess limestone. Truly hardy, it can thrive in all regions, but needs warmth in autumn for good fruit ripening. Since quinces affect the ripening of other pome fruits, it is advisable not to store them together. The main pests of the quince are aphids and codling moths, and the main diseases are entomosporiosis and brown rot (storage diseases).