While my last blog expounded on the benefits of native plants in a wildlife-friendly landscape, I’m going to take a brief detour to laud a familiar, but beloved, non-native. Chaenomeles speciosa or close relative, Chaenomeles japonica, both known as flowering quince, are an early boon to bees.

Honeybee on flowering quince.

I have lived in yards with flowering quince most of my adult life. When we bought my current house, I was thrilled to find a fully mature shrub adorning the hill on top of our tornado shelter. And really, that tells you all you need to know about the hardiness of this shrub, because in Oklahoma, many shelters dig into red clay and sandstone. A more inhospitable patch of mounded dirt is unlikely to be found. This plant is almost indestructible, and for a few weeks in late winter or early spring, it is spectacular, with flowers ranging in color from scarlet, to pink, to orange-red.

Native to Asia

Flowering quinces are native to Asia, and older varieties may have thorns and a twisted, sometimes rambling appearance. In these, you can see the resemblance to their rose relatives. Newer varieties have been tamed somewhat and may be thornless, offering flowers with many petals (however, these may not be as good for bees). But they still retain the species’ maintenance-free hardiness.

This bee’s pollen baskets (on its hind legs) are bulging with flowering quince pollen. 

Hardy in zones 4 (0r 5) to 9, flowering quince is extremely heat and drought resistant once established, and they tolerate a wide variety of conditions and soils, including clay. Some websites say they prefer slightly acidic soils while other say slightly alkaline; it may be that speciosa does better in acidic soil while japonica does better in alkaline, but these are tough plants. As long as your soil isn’t extreme in either direction, you might be fine. They don’t tend to do well in consistently wet or soggy soil, however, so do avoid those conditions.

Helpful to wildlife

Chaenomeles produce a hard, tart fruit that can be turned into jam or marmalade. Deer and birds enjoy this fruit, as well, so I’ve always left mine for the wildlife. Though henbit and daffodils are blooming in my yard right now, the honeybees are on my quince. Since it starts blooming before most other plants, I believe that flowering quince is helpful to bees and other pollinators. It is one of the first pollen and nectar sources available. For me, this non-native is worth keeping.

Another honeybee collecting pollen from flowering quince.