Quince

Overview : The Flowering Quince (Chaenomeles) is a quite a spectacular plant in any form - and when used as bonsai material, is even more spectacular. In late winter, when most deciduous plants are still bare and lifeless, Quince are valued for their display of red, pink or white flowers on a tangle of bare branches.

Originating in China, Japan and Korea, they are fully frost hardy and adapt to a wide range of garden conditions. The tough, springy branches are often thorny on vigorous shoots; the leaves are simple and finely toothed. The flowers appear in stalkless clusters on the previous year’s wood, followed in summer usually by yellow-green fruits with waxy, strongly perfumed skins - although this does depend on species.

General Care : The flowering quinces perform best in a sunny (but not too hot) spot in well-drained but not too rich soil and a dry atmosphere. Keep well watered.

To encourage vigorous, bushy growth, some of the older branches should be cut back hard each year. Prune new growth in late spring.

This plant is able to be trained into many styles, particularly literati (where a single branch can be trained to look quite beautiful - especially when in flower) and root-connected. Other possible styles are cascade, twin trunk, root-over-rock and raft.

Other comments : The wild forms have been superseded by a large selection of cultivars, of which only a few are generally available in any one place.

Propagate from cuttings or by layering - both of which are very easy.