Favourite Corner - Spring 2014. Gunsteling Hoekie - Lente 2014

I can't believe it's been a year since I last did a "favourite corner" post. How time flies, hey. This time my post will be more focused on a favourite shrub than an actual favourite corner, but the shrub is in a corner, so what the hell...

Japanese Quince/Blomkweper

Chaenomeles japonica is normally grown as an ornamental plant due to its beautiful orange-red to bright-red flowers. They also produce small quinces. Yes, they are perfectly edible. James Wong filled my head with mini-quinces and rumptopf about a year ago now. The rumptopf is still outstanding, as the mini-quinces are still very much outstanding too. 

I must be honest; I have no idea how long this little shrub will take to fruit. I just hope it's not seven years or an equally ridiculous amount of time. Even worse - I hope it's not a "Speciosa" flowering hybrid which doesn't produce fruit. The horror! That's the thing with most South African nurseries: the plants are not properly named and the naming might sometimes even be a bit dodgy. Oh well, let's just hope for the best.

Botanical name: CHAENOMELES JAPONICA

Common name: Japanese Quince/Flowering Quince

Volksnaam: Blomkweper

Native to: Japan

Date planted/sowed: June 2013

Ease to grow: Extremely easy to grow

Costs: The shrub was a gift but costs around R85.00, plus compost of around R10.00/bag

Notes: Grows well in shady spots, but doesn't flower or produce fruit as well