Cydonia oblonga Seeds | Quince
LATIN NAME: Cydonia oblonga
COMMON NAME: Quince
Plant Profile
Known to gardeners as Quince, Cydonia oblonga is a deciduous tree in the rose family. Few orchard fruits carry so much scent as ripe quince. Ripe fruits fill a whole room with their scent, and tree is one of old, generous fruit trees of temperate orchard. It is a tree of deep, rich, well-drained ground. When it flowers, local bees and other insects make good use of it. These traits together are what have kept the plant in gardens for so long.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the rose family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. Quince has a long, particular record in plant science, studied for large, hard, fragrant fruits and fine, downy bloom. For practical purposes the message is encouraging: generations of cultivation have produced plants of predictable, well-mannered garden character.
Uses & Benefits
Quince brings genuine presence to the garden and earns its keep across the growing season. Quince is a tree of old orchards with a very long list of uses. Hard, fragrant, golden fruits are too tart to eat raw but they cook into fine, rose-coloured jellies, pastes, butters and preserves, and old quince paste is one of great delicacies of the Mediterranean table. Fruits are also set in bowl to scent a room, and tree is a fine, generous presence of orchard, large border and kitchen garden. A plant that has settled in will get along with only routine care.
Quince fruit is rich in pectin and tannins, a classic preserve fruit and a traditional soothing remedy for throats and digestion; the mucilaginous seeds were once a standard demulcent in European pharmacies.
Growing from Seed
Sow fresh seed of Quince under ordinary good conditions. Sow the seeds evenly over the surface and cover lightly in a loose, well-drained seed compost, keep the sowing evenly moist, and give the pot or tray bright light. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
As a deciduous tree, it settles into a routine quickly once established. Within its genus it stands out for garden reliability. Fresh seed sown into evenly moist compost is most of the battle won.
Related Reading
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