Japanese quince

Low shrub (up to 2,5 m tall), the aroma of its fruits is stronger than the aroma of all other fruits. Leaves are leathery and shining. It produces pretty flowers ranging in colours from white, orange, yellow to red. The shrub blooms abundantly in May. It is very decorative.

The plant is resistant to frosts. It has low soil requirements, but grows better in clayey soils. It prefers sunny areas.

Fruits are hard, sour and inedible. A raw fruit is suitable only as a replacement for a lemon in tea. Fruits contain a lot of acids and that is why they are very bitter-tasting. They are rich in tannins and vitamins of the group B.

It is an excellent raw material for making preserves. The plants are extremely valuable due to their unique smell and aroma when making preserves.