Back to main Search Page

Chaenomeles japonica - (Thunb.)Lindl. ex Spach.

Dwarf Quince

Author	(Thunb.)Lindl. ex Spach.	Botanical references	11, 58, 200
Family	Rosaceae	Genus	Chaenomeles
Synonyms	Chaenomeles maulei - (T.Moore.)Schneid. Cydonia japonica - (Thunb.)Pers. Cydonia maulei - T.Moore. Pyrus japonica - Thunb. non Sims. Pyrus maulei - (T.Moore.)Mast.
Known Hazards	None known
Range	E. Asia - Japan
Habitat	Woods in low mountains, C. and S. Japan[58].
Edibility Rating	3 (1-5)	Medicinal Rating	0 (1-5)

Physical Characteristics

A decidious Shrub growing to 1m by 2m.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.

Habitats

Woodland Garden; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Shady Edge; Deep Shade; Ground Cover;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit.

Fruit - raw or cooked[2, 3, 4, 11, 177, 183]. Very harsh and acid raw but fragrant when cooked, imparting a strong pleasant flavour to jams and jellies[1, 200], it is especially good cooked with apples in apple pies[K]. The fruit is apple-shaped and about 4cm in diameter[200]. The rich aromatic juice, as tart as a lemon, is squeezed and used for culinary purposes[183].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

Other Uses

Ground cover.

Plants sucker freely and can be used as a ground cover. The form C. japonica alpina grows to about half the size of the species, it is especially suitable and can be planted about 1 metre apart each way[208].

Cultivation details

Easily cultivated in any reasonably good soil[1]. Prefers a deep moist well-drained loam[4, 11]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Tolerates full shade but requires a sunny position for best fruit production[3, 11, 200]. Becomes chlorotic on very alkaline soils[200]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution[200]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is hardy to about -25°c[200] and fruits freely in Britain[11]. Plants are occasionally cultivated for their edible fruit[183]. This species is closely allied to C. speciosa[11]. A good bee plant, flowering early in the year and providing pollen and nectar[108]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a sheltered position outdoors or in a cold frame[200]. Sow stored seed in February in a greenhouse[78]. Germination usually takes place within 6 weeks[78]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots as soon as they are large enough to handle. If well grown, these seedling can be large enough to plant out in the summer, but give them some protection in their first winter. Otherwise plant them out in late spring of the following year[K]. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[11]. Easy[113]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, November in a cold frame. Layering in late spring or in autumn. This is a sure and easy method, though it takes 12 months[78, 200]. Division of suckers in late winter[113]. They can be planted out straight into their permanent positions.

Cultivars

No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Links

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[3] Simmons. A. E. Growing Unusual Fruit. David and Charles 1972 ISBN 0-7153-5531-7
A very readable book with information on about 100 species that can be grown in Britain (some in greenhouses) and details on how to grow and use them.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[108] International Bee Research Association. Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. International Bee Research Association. 1981
The title says it all.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[208] Thomas. G. S. Plants for Ground Cover J. M. Dent & Sons 1990 ISBN 0-460-12609-1
An excellent detailled book on the subject, very comprehensive.

Readers Comments

Plants for a Future does not verify the accuracy of reader comments, use at your own risk. In particular Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. You should always consult a professional before using plants medicinally.

Chaenomeles japonica

Fri May 16 16:18:32 2003

"Cido" is a cultivar of Chaenomeles japonica, it is grown especially for its fruits.

Chaenomeles japonica

Denis Tue Nov 4 2008

Very high vitamin C content. Fruits can be preserved by cutting in slim pieces, taking away seeds, mixing with sugar and putting in refrigirator. This yields a great thing to use for tea. Helps against flue and coughing. It looks like it contains some antidepressant.

Add a comment/link:

Discussion Monitor

To have posts to this page mailed to you enter your email address here:

(Your email address will not appear on the webpage or be passed on to third parties).