Quince (Cydonia oblonga)

2 year old bare root seedling 16"-24"

The quince tree, with its delicate pink flowers and dark green leaves that turn yellow in fall, becomes an eye-catching presence after leaf-fall with its sculptural branches. It needs little pruning, mainly for shaping and to avoid fire blight, for which excessive nitrogen should be avoided.

Its tart, fragrant fruit, high in pectin, excels in jams and jellies and can enhance apple dishes. The quince prefers well-drained sandy to clay loam soils and should not be planted where spring flooding occurs. It's self-pollinating but yields more fruit with another variety nearby.

A full-sun lover, the quince thrives in cold climates and tends to grow more bush-like. Expect substantial, consistent yields from this hardy plant. Quince works well in a zone 5 and needs a sheltered location to have production in zone 4. 

Pears grafted onto quince rootstock mature into considerably smaller trees. This dwarfing characteristic is particularly beneficial for cultivators with limited space or those who prefer a more manageable tree size for ease of harvest. Furthermore, the influence of the quince rootstock accelerates the fruiting process, with the grafted pear trees beginning to bear fruit years earlier than they typically would on their own root systems though their lifespan becomes decades shorter.