Chaenomeles 'Crimson and Gold' - Crimson and Gold' Japanese Quince

Ignite your garden at the very first signs of spring with the 'Crimson and Gold' Quince, an arbustive powerhouse that braves the final frosts. Its deep crimson blossoms, highlighted by a brilliant heart of golden-yellow stamens, create a striking contrast against its bare wood. In autumn, it offers small, highly aromatic yellow fruits with a firm flesh that reveals a complex, tart flavor. Once cooked, these fruits release an enchanting scent of honey and rose, making them perfect for artisanal jellies. It is the ideal plant to inject a dose of energy into your flowerbeds while stocking your pantry.

Characteristics

• Foliage : Features small, oval, lustrous dark green leaves that appear just after the spring bloom. This deciduous foliage remains dense and healthy throughout the season.
• Flowering / Fruiting / Stems : Deploys a profusion of single blood-red flowers with golden stamens in April and May. The fruits, small yellow quinces when ripe, have an astringent and very sour taste raw, but develop a rich, sweet flavor after processing.
• Light : Prefers full sun for maximum flowering and better fruit ripening, but tolerates part shade very well.
• Habit : Presents a spreading, bushy, and compact silhouette, often wider than it is tall.
• Growth : Displays moderate growth, reaching its adult size in a balanced manner.
• Soil : Adapts to a wide variety of soils, provided they are well-drained. Avoid overly alkaline soils to prevent chlorosis.
• Temperature : Excellent hardiness, perfectly adapted to zone 5 climate.
• Resistances : Demonstrates good drought tolerance once established and resists common urban diseases well.

Use

• Types of use : Integrate it into mass plantings, along borders, or use it to create a low defensive hedge thanks to its slightly thorny stems. It also performs very well in containers on a terrace.
• Decorative advantages : Offers one of the first colourful spectacles of the year. Its flowering branches can be cut to create original spring bouquets indoors.

Maintenance

• Watering : Water regularly during the first year after planting. Subsequently, keep the soil cool, especially during periods of high heat to encourage fruiting.
• Fertilization : Apply a balanced fertilizer in early spring to stimulate flowering and foliage growth.
• Pruning : Prune lightly after flowering to maintain the desired shape and promote the production of new flowering wood.
• Planting : Plant in a hole twice as wide as the root ball, ideally in spring or fall, respecting the required spacing.
• Winter Protection : Generally requires no special protection in zone 5, as its structure is very robust against the cold.