Flowering Quince - Chaenomeles speciosa
Your grandmother probably had a flowering quince in her yard. They were popular cottage
garden plants back in the day. Turns out Grandma was right – flowering quince are top-notch
for honey bees. Mine is positively “a buzz” in April when it blooms!
- Dense, thorny shrub, 6-10’.
- Blooms for 2-3 weeks in April.
- 3 star nectar source and 2 star pollen source for honey bees; bumble bees will also visit.
- Sun to part shade, drought tolerant, adaptable to a wide range of soil types.
- Renewal prune by cutting the oldest branches to the ground after flowering. You can
also cut the entire shrub down to within 6” of the ground if it’s getting out of bounds.
By Marie Rojas