Chaenomeles speciosa Toyo-Nishiki - Flowering Quince

The Japanese Quince or Chaenomeles speciosa'Toyo-Nishiki' is a Japanese variety that carries delicate small single flowers in various colours, from light red when they first open to deep pink and then white, on its naked thorny branches. Its leafless flowering is particularly appreciated as it allows to decorate the garden when few plants are flowering or growing. In autumn, it is followed by small fragrant decorative fruits, yellow-green in colour, which can be cooked and used to make jelly or jam. It is a deciduous medium-sized bush, exceptionally robust, that grows everywhere, in well-drained soils, in full sun or partial shade. Use this bush to create flowering defensive hedges or as a background in a romantic, country or Japanese-style garden. Its flowering branches make elegant and charming bouquets!

 The 'Toyo-Nishiki' Japanese Quince is derived from the Chaenomeles speciosa, a thorny bush native to China and belonging to the rose family. This variety was recently obtained in Japan and stands out from other cultivars for its exceptional vigour and flowering, which displays shades ranging from light red to deep pink and then white. Growing to a medium size, this deciduous bush has a bushy and rounded dense habit, reaching about 3m (9 ft 10 in) in height and 2m (6 ft 7 in) in width. Its flowering occurs from February to April. The fragrant flowers, measuring 3 to 4cm (1.2 to 1.6 in) in diameter, are composed of 5 petals that slightly overlap, similar to those of cherry or decorative cherry trees. Then, the flower opens up and reveals a yellow stamen centre. The flowers are carried by a very short or even absent pedicel and grouped in 3 to 5 on the previous year's branches. The leaves develop after the flowers; they are narrow to lanceolate, 3-9cm (1.2-3.5 in) long and 1.5 to 5cm (0.6 to 2 in) wide, with a beautiful shiny dark green colour on their upper surface.

Japanese Quinces, like Forsythias, Abeliophyllum and Japanese kerrias, produce beautiful and simple flowers that are eagerly awaited after a long winter. They thrive in all climates and are not afraid of heat or cold. They can be grown as standalone plants, in flower beds, and, of course, in a country hedge. The 'Toyo-Nishiki' variety can be combined with fragrant bushes such as winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima), which precedes it, white lilacs that will take over its flowering, followed by buddleias. This small bush can also be used as a ground cover on a slope, accompanied by ground-cover roses, creeping ceanothus, or rosemary. It can also be trained against a wall near the house, paired with winter jasmine, to be enjoyed with every passing. Its still bare branches, adorned with buds, look stunning in beautiful tall vase bouquets.