Chaenomeles superba Crimson and Gold - Flowering Quince

Chaenomeles x speciosa 'Crimson and Gold' is a hardy variety with dark red single flowers. Its shining flowers adorned with beautiful yellow stamens announce the beginning of spring along with forsythias and winter viburnum. Its small, aromatic, yellow quinces can be prepared as jelly. It is robust and undemanding. It will always find a place in an informal hedge, hedgerow or defensive hedge. It also delights bonsai enthusiasts, and its flowering branches are magnificent in bouquets. 

Chaenomeles speciosa is a thorny bush of the Rosaceae family, with fairly rapid growth. 'Crimson and Gold' is a horticultural selection bred in California. It forms a bush with a slightly loose habit in its early years, then thickens and widens by developing suckers at the base. Its branches are dense, somewhat bushy, and will reach about 1.5m (5ft) in height and 2m (7ft) in width by the age of 10. Its flowering extends from late March to May, for 3 to 4 weeks. The fragrant flowers reach 3 to 5cm (1 to 2in) in diameter. They are composed of 5 petals that overlap to form a hollow cup. Each flower partially opens, revealing a heart full of yellow stamens. The flowers are borne on very short, or even absent, pedicels, and they are grouped in 3 to 5 on the previous year's branches. The leaves develop just after the flowers. They are coppery at bud burst and are narrow to lanceolate, 3 to 9cm (1 to 4in) long and 1.5 to 5cm (1 to 2in) wide, with a beautiful shiny dark green on their upper surface. The flowering is followed by the formation of small quinces, 5 to 6cm (2in) in size. The fruit is initially green, before turning yellow and aromatic at maturity. They are edible after cooking. 

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 heat or cold. They can be grown both in isolation and in flower beds. 'Crimson and Gold' can be used as a hedge, in the company of fragrant shrubs such as winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima) that precedes it, rugosa roses and white lilacs that will take over its flowering, and buddleias to follow. It can also be trained against a wall, near the house, combined with a winter jasmine, to be enjoyed with each passing.

Uses, properties:

An extract called cananga essence is obtained from the fruit, not to be confused with the one derived from Cananga odorata, the Ylang-ylang. The bitter and astringent raw fruits are unfit for consumption as they are. However, once cooked, they are edible and can be used to make jellies or preserves. In Chinese medicine, dried fruits are used, among other things, for their anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, analgesic, and liver-protective properties.