Chaenomeles japonica Sargentii - Flowering Quince

Chaenomeles japonica 'Sargentii' is a lovely form of Japanese quince with a compact and spreading habit. A small deciduous bush appreciated for its floribundity and unusual silhouette. In spring, it displays a profusion of incompletely open cup-shaped flowers in a vivacious salmon-orange colour, at the same time as its foliage emerges. Very adaptable to exposure and soil type, it works well as a small flowering hedge, as ground cover, in a wooded garden, in a shrub border, on a terrace, or even in a small garden. This unique and endearing Japanese quince is also appreciated by bonsai enthusiasts. 

Chaenomeles japonica is a spiny bush, spreading by suckering from its stump. It is native to Japan and belongs to the Rosaceae family. The 'Sargentii' cultivar distinguishes itself from the species by its more prostrate growth and increased floribundity. This relatively fast-growing bush, somewhat sparse in its youth, thickens with age. It forms a dense bush, 1m (3ft) tall and approximately 1.8m (6ft) wide. Its flowering period lasts from March to April, for about 3 weeks. The nectar-rich flowers, reaching 2 to 3cm (1in) in diameter, are composed of petals in a bright orange that slightly overlap, but never fully open, so that the yellow stamen heart is only visible when the flower withers. The flowers, grouped in 3 or 4 small clusters, are borne on very short or even absent pedicels on the previous year's branches. They give way to small rounded fruits, 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in size, turning yellow in autumn. These aromatic fruits are used in Japanese pharmacopoeia, but are not edible as they are. The deciduous leaves develop almost simultaneously with the flowers; they are ovate to lanceolate, 3 to 6 cm (1 to 2in) long and 1.5 to 3 cm (1in) wide, with a beautiful glossy green on their upper surface.

Japanese quinces, like Forsythias, Abeliophyllum, and Japanese kerrias, are among the first to provide beautiful spring flowers, so eagerly awaited after a long winter. They are comfortable in all climates, as they are not afraid of either heat or cold. They can be grown both as stand-alone specimens and in borders, and of course in a country hedge.

The 'Sargentii' variety can be planted with fragrant bushes like winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) that precedes it, white lilacs that will take over after its flowering, and buddleias to follow. This small bush can also form ground cover, in the company of creeping ceanothus or blue-flowered rosemary which will mutually enhance each other. It can also be trained against a wall, near the house, paired with a winter jasmine, to be enjoyed with every passing. Its still bare but bud-filled branches look beautiful in tall vases.