Beautiful Flowering Shrubs 



the Japanese Quince, the " Japonica " of almost every 

 garden from cottage to castle. 



In the utilitarian eyes of our ancestors the Common 

 Quince (Cydonia vulgaris), though greatly appreciated, 

 owed the appreciation to its fruits, and it is probable 

 that the very presence of the Quince in our land is a 

 legacy from the occupation of Britain by quince-loving 

 Romans a thousand years ago. Which, indeed, is the 

 native land of the Quince is a fact unknown to history, 

 though the name " Cydonia " reminds us that it was 

 first brought to Greece from Cydon in Crete. Though 

 almost certainly not indigenous to Britain, it seems 

 always to have been found here since civilisation 

 began, and a sixteenth century writer tells us that, in 

 addition to being an orchard tree, it was " planted 

 oftentimes in Hedges and Fences belonging to 

 Gardens and Vineyards " a practice now lost. 



In a favourable situation it tends to be a small 

 tree rather than a shrub, though all writers comment 

 on its tendency to a shrub-like habit. The leaves are 

 rather like apple leaves, of simple outline, smooth 

 above, whitish below. The flowers are larger than 

 apple flowers, though on the same plan both Quince 

 and apple being members of the Rosacece family and 

 they apppear, usually solitary, on second-year shoots 

 about May, the opening of the leaf buds preceding that 

 of the flower buds. Each flower has five large 



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