shrub id please...

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by WendyI, Aug 8, 2005.

  1. WendyI

    WendyI Member

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    this is the shrub in pots before planting. The blooms died off when I planted them but one or two seem to be coming back for some reason. Also, one of them has a pear shaped type fruit growing on the bottom! Sorry, I didn't get a pic of that yet. Can anyone tell me what kinds of shrubs they are?
     

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  2. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Japanese quince.
     
  3. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    aka Chaenomeles. may not be spelled right, just going off the cuff.
     
  4. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Chaenomeles is right. The fruit is too sour to eat fresh, but you can use it to make jam (when they're ripe, orange-brown).
     
  5. jimmyq

    jimmyq Well-Known Member 10 Years

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    I chomped one once just for fun at the end of Summer, crisp like an apple (harder actually) and tart like you woulldn't believe.

    There are two plants called Quince and the Japanese (the one here) is usually considered ornamental while Cydonia oblonga is referred to as fruiting Quince. Personally I have only tasted the fruit of the ornamental type.
     
  6. PeninsularRose

    PeninsularRose Member

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    Jelly made from quince tastes like eating roses. Very nice... The fruits are incredibly hard, and white fleshed, but the juice is pink when its boiled up.
     
  7. WendyI

    WendyI Member

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    well, not sure I'll be making jams and jellies any time soon! These are still pretty small plants! LOL! I was surprised to see fruit on the one plant so soon after planting in the ground! I had no idea that I had purchased a fruit bearing plant! Sorry...I should probably research the plants I buy a "little" better but mostly if I see something and think it's pretty, I'll try it! It's worked fairly well so far.

    Any idea how long they take to "mature" and how big maturity is? It's not listed in my limited library of reference books, unfortunately. Is it considered a shrub or will it grow kind of like a lilac?

    Thanks once again for all your info!
     
  8. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    It is usually a fairly small shrub. I can't recollect ever seeing one more than a metre tall, but the books say they can reach 2m tall, even 3m on occasion.
     
  9. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Chaenomeles japonica tends to be dwarfish, garden forms and hybrids of other species taller.
     

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