Canada Plum & American Plum vs Japanese Quince - TreeTime.ca

Canada Plum & American Plum vs Japanese Quince

Prunus nigra and americana

Chaenomeles japonica

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON

Canada Plum & American Plum
Japanese Quince

Canada and American Plum are almost identical in appearance and growth needs. These plants are short and stout fruit trees native to North America.

This hardy ornamental is excellent for both city dwellings as well as rural areas. During the spring, the white and pink blossoms are long lasting. The tasty fruit is suitable for fresh eating, baking, and preserves. These trees are not widely distributed and pure seed can be hard to come by.

Both are commonly used as rootstock and are considered universal pollinizers for other plum varieties.

Japanese Quince has bright, orange to red showy flowers that bloom in early spring. The flowers appear before the leaves and may continue to bloom after leaves emerge. Flowers grow on old wood, so pruning after flowering will help to promote new growth next spring. They produce yellow-green fruit that taste bitter when eaten raw, typically they are better suited for making preserves.

It can be used as a stand alone ornamental shrub, as a low hedge, or can be trained to grow against a wall. In late winter, branches of Japanese Quince can be cut and brought indoors where they will bloom on their own. They are deer and rabbit tolerant. The branches are spiny making them well suited for keeping unwanted wildlife away.

Note: This species is currently unavailable. Grow your own using Japanese Quince seeds at SeedTime.ca.

Canada Plum & American Plum Quick Facts

Japanese Quince Quick Facts

Lowest Price: $16.99
Zone: 2b
Zone: 5a
Height: 5 m (15 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 4 m (12 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no
Fall colour: attractive yellow, gold
Flavor: bitter
Harvest: fall
Flowers: white
Flowers: showy, red-orange
Bark: grey and scaly with age
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: medium
Suckering: high
Suckering: medium




Other Names: american plum, black plum, canada plum, horse plum, wild plum
Other Names: flowering quince, maules quince