Mayday Cherry vs Japanese Quince - TreeTime.ca

Mayday Cherry vs Japanese Quince

Chaenomeles japonica

Prunus padus

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Japanese Quince
Mayday Cherry

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.

Mayday Cherry is a small deciduous tree known for its early blooming and fragrant white flowers.

A favourite specimen tree on prairie homesteads, Mayday Cherry produces small black berries that are inedible to people but highly desirable to birds.

Japanese Quince Quick Facts

Mayday Cherry Quick Facts

Zone: 5a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Height: 9 m (30 ft)
Spread: 1.5 m (5 ft)
Spread: 8 m (25 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: medium
Life span: medium
Life span: short
Suckering: medium
Suckering: low


Toxicity: seeds and leaves are toxic if ingested
Flowers: showy, red-orange
Flowers: early blooming, white
Fruit: greenish yellow
Fruit: small black berries
Berries: small black berries
Flavor: bitter
Harvest: fall
Seeds: located within the berries
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Other Names: flowering quince, maules quince
Other Names: common bird cherry, european bird cherry