What Kind of a Bush Has Long, Spiky Thorns and Hot Pink Flowers?

The Quintessence of Quince

• The shrub’s early flowers are its fortune, since its form -- which can grow to 10 by 10 feet for Chinese types -- is a confused tangle. The Japanese flowering quinces only reach about a third that size and the hybrid superba varieties about half. The fragrant blooms, which vary in size from 1 1/2 to 2 inches and in color from white to red, look somewhat similar to waxy miniature roses and come in single, semi-double and double forms. They can appear from late January in the southernmost part of the quince's range to April in its most northern zones. Although some of the newer varieties have been bred to be thornless, most flowering quince bushes remain barbed with long, sharp spines.

The Qualifications for Quince

• Flowering quince will grow in almost any soil but prefers a slightly heavy and slightly acidic one in full sun. Highly alkaline ground may give it a bad case of chlorosis (yellowing leaves). The bush also does best where winter weather remains consistently cold, as warm spells can force it into premature bloom, which often results in frozen flowers.

The Quirks of Quince

• The flowering quince often drops much of its spring foliage by midsummer for the same reason a rose may -- fungus problems. Its thorns also tend to snag any dead leaves or other detritus that happens to float by. Therefore, some gardeners prefer to cut the bush back hard after it blooms, or keep it in a position where it will be partially hidden by other plants for most of the summer. On the positive side, the flowering quince is one of the shrubs whose cut branches you can easily force into early bloom indoors.

The Quasi-Fruits of Quince

• Though its 2-inch fruits are from a different genus than those of the much larger common quince (Cydonia oblonga, hardy in USDA zones 5 through 9), you can still use them in jams and jellies. Harvest them after they turn yellow in the fall, preferably after a frost or two softens them.