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Quince
Habit (mature) · Molekuel / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 3.0
Limited coverage
Quince
Cydonia oblonga
The original quince — a deciduous, often multi-stemmed small tree or large shrub of the rose family from the Caucasus and western Asia, grown for its aromatic golden-yellow fruit rather than as an ornamental. Solitary, five-petaled pale-pink-to-white flowers open on the current season’s growth in mid to late spring, followed by showy round-to-pear-shaped fruit that ripens from gray-green to bright yellow in fall. Raw the fruit is hard, bitter, and astringent, but it sweetens and perfumes a kitchen once cooked into jellies, tarts, and cider. Not to be confused with the ornamental flowering quince (Chaenomeles).
Review: Source-backed
Climate fit: moderate (44/100)
Focal point
Structure
Edible
Light
Full sun / Part sun / Part shade
Water
Moderate water
Mature size
144-180" tall · 144" apart
Hardy in zones
5a-8b
very cold to frosty winters
Summer heat range
Cool-Hot
cool to hot summers Interim Plotwright tier until the plant AHS range is authored.
Native in Illinois
No
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Cold hardiness
Now
Zone 6b
USDA
Chicago, IL · 1991-2020 average annual coldest day
Source: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (1991-2020 climatology) via ArcGIS FeatureServer
Well-suited
2050
Zone 7b
Plotwright
Your zone + climate-model shift · SSP3-7.0 (regional rivalry)
Well-suited
In plain terms: cold winters — coldest nights typically around -3°F.
Well-suited today and still thriving in 2050.
Heat tolerance
Loading current AHS heat-zone and plant heat-fit data at your coordinates…
Sources & citations
Cite this page
For lesson plans, articles, or research that uses this page. To cite a single upstream fact instead, use its specific source listed below.
Plotwright. (2026, May 17). Quince (Cydonia oblonga). Retrieved 2026, June 5, from https://plotwright.garden/plants/quince
Sources for every fact
Every fact on this page traces to a source. 18 fields cited18 source-backed.
Missouri Botanical Garden PlantFinder
Botanical research database
Backs 17 fields
Identity
Summary
Plant type
Light
Moisture
Hardiness
Heat zone
Size
Spacing
Habit
Design roles
Seasonal interest
Growth stages
Lifecycle
Regional guidance
Success tips
Designer notes
Wikimedia Commons
Photo · CC BY 3.0
Backs 1 field
Image
Plotwright editorial synthesis
University extension service
Community photos
The photos above are our reviewed reference set, curated for accuracy.
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