I've seen other bushes that do this, not just mine. Mine is finally flowering, it took many years after I propagated it from a neighbor's bush. But I moved it several times, so I think it's finally settled in. But I only have flowers near the bottom. Anyone know why?
I've seen flowering shrubs after a harsh winter bloom only where they were protected by snow. Forsythias especially, with flowers only as high as the snow got that winter (z5 New England). It's a possibility, anyway.
I've found that flowering Quince is just a bit of a rebel, with each one capable of being quite unique and strange behaving. Often times even named cultivars do strange things in differing circumstances. I've got 2 that I purchased as 'Texas Red' and they insist on leafing out in early February regardless of the weather, but they don't bloom until mid April and by then the blooms are 12 to 18 inches inside the new foliage. My neighbor down the road bought another 'Texas Red' from the same place and it behaves just as advertised for the cultivar. I can't explain it, nor can I explain your shrub's behavior. Claypa's theory is as good as any I've heard. My current working theory is that they are amazingly reactive to environmental conditions, like sun, shade, cold, warm, soil, etc. etc.
I have a neighbor who's quince is doing the same as yours, Cindyeo. He doesn't know why, either. It didn't do that last year.
I've had two. One at my previous home in KC and one that is now 2 years old at our new home in Springfield. Both tend to flower "in the middle". I've seen the same in nursery stock. I assumed it was an adaptive response to protect the fruit, but you know what happens when a sentence starts with "I assumed"! They seem to take pruning well, and I cut back some of the new foliage growth to open up the flowers a bit. Anybody else get a second (and sometimes third) flush of flowers? Mine in KC did that every year, but my new one hasn't...yet.
I don't think the snow cover theory is going to explain mine. I get very little snow, I live in southern Mass right along the water and I don't think we had any lasting snow this year, even though just about an hour away they were buried all winter.
jeffinsgf,
I have another neighbor further down the road from me who has one which often has second, third, and even fourth flushes of flowers. I've seen it blooming between Christmas and New Years even. Otherwise their's has lots of blooms without leaves in mid to late March usually.
I don't know how hardy quince flower buds are, but ones that are lower to the ground are going to be a bit more protected from cold (even if there's not snow cover) and the ones on the extremities of the plant are going to be the first to get zapped if you get a late frost or cold snap.
Would there be a maturity factor with blossoms appearing on the lower (older??) branches first?
They do bloom on old wood, but since they bloom early before you really have any new growth I wouldn't think that would be the case. Unless they need branches that are at least 2 yrs old for blooms, but I don't know enough about quince to know if that's the case. Most of the plants I know that bloom on old wood, growth from the previous year is old enough.
I have several Flowering Quince that I grow as bonsai Trees. They are kept outside year round, and the pots are covered with mulch during the winter to protect the roots from freezing. While the flowers form on wood one year old or older, some blooms on this “Texas Scarlet Clump Style bonsai” are at the ends of the branches because the new growth has been trimmed off. This photo was taken in February, and was a welcomed sign that spring was around the corner.
I was searching for info on pruning flowering quince. I have 2- 'Texas Scarlet' and 'Cameo'. They've been in the ground for 2 years & cameo is really bushing out. I'd like to give it an overall trim to keep it in bounds but don't know if its a good idea. Cameo is much bigger than Texas Scarlet & has coral double flowers. Mine always bloom deep down on the shrub so I'm looking for affirmation that a trim won't affect the bloom next year. They are pretty carefree here, but I never see them planted in Chicago. Any ideas?
