Buttonbush vs Japanese Quince - TreeTime.ca

Buttonbush vs Japanese Quince

Cephalanthus occidentalis

Chaenomeles japonica

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Buttonbush
Japanese Quince

Buttonbush is a moisture loving shrub that provides year round interest.

It has round, fragrant flowers resembling small buttons or pincushions. The flowers transform into small reddish-brown fruit that persists into winter while the leaves take on shades of red in fall.

Providing essential food to bees, butterflies, and other insects, this shrub is versatile. Try it in your next shrub border.

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.

Buttonbush Quick Facts

Japanese Quince Quick Facts

Zone: 4a
Zone: 5a
Height: 2.4 m (8 ft)
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Light: any
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: normal, wet
Moisture: dry, normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: long
Life span: medium
Suckering: low
Suckering: medium
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: large, white, spherical
Flowers: showy, red-orange
Fruit: greenish yellow
Flavor: bitter
Harvest: fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: ON, QC, NS, NB
Other Names: flowering quince, maules quince