does anyone know about japanese red-flowering quinces?

I live in St. Cloud, MN which is right on the map line between zones 3B and 4A.

It seems we can grow some zone 4 plants, but sometimes they don't make the winter. Sometimes even zone 3 plants die. For example, I put in subzero roses (3) and new freedom rose hedges (4)-- bagged and mulched them-- and they died. On the other hand, I can grow a pee-gee hydrangea and I even have a red hydrangea (5!) in a protected spot near the house that survived the winter (it came back up from the roots). But maybe I just goofed up the roses?

Anyway I want to put in a shrub line on my protected South side (my house is to the North) and I am looking at the red flowering quince from Gurney's (massive store credit there-- see roses above). The information box says they are zones 4-8 and are good to -20. But we can get colder than that-- it can dip into the -30s or 40s for a few days in a cold snap. And wind chills frequently hit -100 or worse (you can smell the borscht in Siberia!). Will they make it? Or should I scrap my plan and wait for a hardier zone 3 bush with red flowers (are there any?)

Thanks! Lisa

I checked several of the flowering quinces in Plant Files and they are only listed as hardy to zone 5a so I think if you want one you're going to have to go to extra lengths to protect it. Even if they really are hardy to zone 4, it may make it through some winters but you're going to run into one that will kill it. A plant that can only take temps of -20 is not going to make it through a cold snap where it gets to -40 for a few days. If you want something that'll come back reliably, I'd look for something else, but if you're OK with trying an experiment and seeing what happens then go for it, plants will sometimes surprise you!

Thank you! I will get something else. I think I am suffering from zone envy!

I have a flowering quince that has never bloomed or born fruit. It is about 2 or three years old . Did the cold snap we had in April prevent its blooming this year? The bush itself is fine.

It could have, the other possibility ispruning at the wrong time of year. They bloom on old wood, so if you prune in the fall you won't have blooms the following year. Some shrubs take a couple years to get established before they'll bloom much too, but I had a quince that bloomed when it was still quite tiny so I think it's more likely either the cold snap or pruning at the wrong time.

Mine have never been pruned and are very slow growing.

Then it's most likely the late cold snap, that ruined spring blossoms on a lot of plants this year!

Flowering Quince was done by the first of Feb here...the Great Easter Freeze should have had no effect on the blooms. It is the very first color we see in the late winter before anything else even thinks about it.

I would check into moving it if it isn't thriving or blooming, and you haven't pruned it. They get quite large here. Something else is afoot with it besides the weather.

I have to agree with Melody, I grow red flowering Quince, I live direct onto the ocean with gale force winds, can get snow in April/May on occasions, rain for a monthe March/ April and total dryness for weeks, we have such unpredictable weather here that if we were to worry about the weather, we would never garden at all, my quince has self seeded and these tiny little shrubs also flowered, we make jam/jelly, sauces etc, so cant see a problem for you, I can only think if it is growing in too poor soil, not enough neutriants etc, I do have mine trained against a fence, but they often get the leaves stripped off with wind and recover, mine flower as the leaves are forming, have quite sharp thorns when they mature but other than that, they get no special treatment, in fact, sometimes they have thrived on neglect, like me, you just learn how to protect your plants as and when the weather dictates and on several occasions all that has been required is three garden canes placed over the plants wigwam fashion and some fleece over the canes with saftypins till the storm passes, other times we have been away and no protection given and they look tattered, but they soon pick up again.Good luck, hope this helps. WeeNel.

Those things are as tough as old boots ...I would just leave it alone...I don't have one myself but there is a beaut growing next farm over...they don't bother with their garden and this beauty flowers it's head off every year! You also see them growing happily in abandoned farms.Give it a couple of seasons without touching it and see what happens.....sometimes we spoil our plants and this can cause lots of growth without flowers.failing all that use some pot ash or similar. :)

kyjoy:
You didn't mention how much sun your qince is getting.

It is planted in my shade garden and gets dappled sun.

move it to a sunnier spot in autumn when it stops growing and the weather will be a bit cooler, then when it flowers the sunnier spot will bring the pollinators onto the flowers and you will get the nice fruits, they are like tiny apples, not sweet but make great jam/jelly etc. good luck. Weenel.