Kitchen Garden Forum

About four years ago I planted a small ornamental quince - very thorny with dark red flowers in early spring. For the past two years it has produced quite an amazing crop of fruit for such a small plant. The fruits are about the size of a bramley cooking apple but are definitely quinces. Are these the same as the tree fruits and can I use hem in the same way? If they are - why are they labelled as ornamental shrubs and not fruit shrubs / trees ?

I`ll also be very interested to hear any answers to this question.
I have an `ornamental` quince that produces similar fruit - although usually liberally daubed with sparrow droppings as the bush is our local sparrow hotel.

A friend of mine uses the fruit from ornamental quinces (I know it as japonica) to make quince jelly - has done for some years now.
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Granny

I also used to have one of these Ornamental quinces, also advertised in garden brochures as Chaenomeles but I always knew it as Japonica. They have waxy flowers in white, red or pink and the autumn fruits turn from green to yellow and have a delicious perfume. I used to make Japonica jelly with mine and they are quite safe for turning into preserves but I don't think they're the same type of quince which are grown on trees, which have a slightly different shape,have a slightly furry skin and look rather like a pear. The tree quinces, at least the variety I've seen growing in Portugal, don't have the same perfume either. I believe some people also confuse quinces with medlars, which are small chestnut sized fruits which don't have any perfume at all, but whether medlars and quinces belong to the same family I'm not sure.

My quinces are smooth skinned and do look like large round pears. I just left them in a bowl in the kitchen and as they softened they smelled lovely. Ive read that they enhance the taste of apple pie if you put some in so I'll try it next year. I might take a few cuttings now as well - its a very thorny shrub and would make a nice intruder proof hedge. Any idea if they enjoy being very exposed to strong south westerlies ?

As I understand it, the "true" quince is genus Cydonia whilst the "ornamental" quince is genus Chaenomeles which used to be called, and is still often known as, Japonica.

You can make jelly from both (and we do) though I think the Cydonia has more flavour.

Cydonia is usually a tree with (generally) whitish flowers and Chaenomeles is a shrub with red/pink/white flowers though I think the red ones have the best fruit.

The fruit are similar in appearance.

Not sure about thorns though I guess that these mean it is Chaenomeles.

Nothing is simple is it?