HoneyHQ

Quince

Cydonia oblongaRosaceaeTree

An ancient orchard tree with large, single, pale pink flowers held on the new growth, flowering later than apple and therefore missing most spring frosts. It is self-fertile but sets far better with insect visits, and its flowers are among the largest and most accessible in the spring orchard.

Value to bees

Nectar
High
Pollen
High
As a honey crop
Not a honey source
Which bees, and why
Self-fertile but noticeably more productive with insect visits. The flowers are large, open and borne singly, which makes them easy for every kind of bee.

Large open saucer flowers with no access difficulty whatsoever.

Worth knowing
A good late-spring nectar and pollen source with large accessible flowers.

Flowering

In flower
May to June (northern hemisphere)

Later than apple and pear, which makes it markedly less vulnerable to spring frost.

Growing it

Conditions
Full sun on moisture-retentive soil, sheltered from cold wind. It tolerates damp ground better than most orchard fruit.
Size
4-6 m tall.
Native range
The Caucasus and northern Iran. Cultivated around the Mediterranean and in temperate Europe for millennia.
Suits
Small gardens, Orchard, Large gardens
  • Self-fertile, so a single tree will crop — which suits a small garden.
  • Flowers on new growth, so avoid heavy winter pruning.
  • Fruits need a long warm autumn to ripen properly in northern climates.

What it looks like

A small crooked tree with felted grey-green leaves and large solitary pale pink saucer-shaped flowers up to 5 cm across, followed by knobbly aromatic golden fruits.

Sources

  • Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production — Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) (2016) · Systematic review Link
  • HoneyHQ editorial synthesis — HEKNO Ltd · HoneyHQ synthesis

How sources are selected and weighted is set out in the sources and evidence policy.

Guides covering this plant

Tools for planning planting

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