Chinese flowering quince vs Flowering quince

Chinese flowering quince and Flowering quince are often considered for the same spot in the garden (flowers, hedge, pollinator friendly, specimen). The data below shows where they differ: size, hardiness, care, toxicity and price.

Chinese flowering quince

Chaenomeles speciosa 2 m × 2 m after 10 years

A dense, spiny shrub that reaches head height and flowers in early spring before the leaves: depending on the cultivar the white, pink or red blooms…

Shrub

Full sun

Part shade

Flowering quince

Chaenomeles × superba 1.2 m × 1.5 m after 10 years

A low, spreading, thorny deciduous shrub that covers itself in large, waxy, mostly red flowers in early spring before the leaves, when little else…

Shrub

Full sun

Part shade

from about PLN 19

Key differences

Chinese flowering quince grows larger: 2 m × 2 m after ten years, against 1.2 m × 1.5 m for Flowering quince (an estimate: sources differ).

Which one to choose?

Flowering quince is the better choice if space is tight.

Watch out for

Chinese flowering quince

In wet springs fungal leaf spot and scab attack it and it can drop much of its foliage by midsummer; this looks poor but rarely kills the shrub. It is susceptible to fire blight, so near apples, pears and quinces watch for blackened, hooked shoot tips and cut them out back to healthy wood. On strongly alkaline soil the leaves turn yellow (iron chlorosis). Aphids, and less often scale and mites, appear on new growth, and late frost can kill the early flower buds.

Flowering quince

In Central Europe watch for fire blight (Erwinia amylovora): a dangerous bacterial disease in which shoot tips look scorched, and which can spread to apple, pear and quince. On strongly limy, alkaline soil the leaves turn yellow from iron deficiency (chlorosis), which can be a problem in many gardens of the region. In wet springs fungal leaf spot can strip much of the foliage by midsummer, blossom wilt can affect the flowers and aphids the young shoots. Late spring frost can ruin the early flower buds.

The data side by side

Feature	Chinese flowering quince	Flowering quince
Group	Shrub	Shrub
Size after 10 years	2 m × 2 m (uncertain)	1.2 m × 1.5 m
Ultimate size	1.5–3 m × 1.8–3 m	0.9–1.5 m × 1.2–2.5 m (uncertain)
Growth rate	Medium (uncertain)	Medium
Light	Full sun, Part shade	Full sun, Part shade
Soil	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Acidic	Average garden soil, Clay, Sandy, Acidic
Hardiness	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)	down to -29 °C (USDA 4, RHS H7)
Foliage	Deciduous	Deciduous
Flowering	March–April, red, pink, white, orange	March–May, red, orange, pink, white (uncertain)
Water need	Medium	Medium
Drought tolerance	High	High
Maintenance	Low	Low
Planting distance	150 cm	100 cm
For children	Non-toxic (uncertain)	Non-toxic (uncertain)
Typical price	no data	approx. PLN 20

Prices are rounded, indicative values. Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor. Data updated: October 26, 2026

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