This article may contain some affiliate links and if you make a purchase after clicking on any of teh links, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Quince trees are favorites among gardeners trying to build an orchard.
During spring, they flaunt their showy mid-sized, scarlet-red blossoms that are enticing to pollinators which contributes to the growth of sweet and luscious fruits in autumn.
However, there is a question mark on what to do with those spaces in between. Of course, you can’t just throw in any plants. But since quince trees thrive in zone 5-9, you want a comfortable pairing on those grounds.
Some of the best quince tree companion plants are mock orange, forsythia, and spirea. To add contrast, juniper has fantastic foliage that accents the spring quince blooms and screen the winter spikiness of the bare branches.
Flowering almonds, pyracantha, tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths are good bulb companions worth considering.
Best Quince Tree Companion Plants
1. Mock Orange
If it is an Orchard, then Mock orange will make a great addition.
Even though it doesn’t produce edible fruit, it distribute the traditional scent of orange blooms to the atmosphere. Thus, making your fruit
During spring and early summer blooms, this fragrant deciduous tree becomes a sancury for honey bees and butterflies.
And like quince, they grow best under full sun, well-drianed, and moist soil.
Mock oranges is also at their best when paired with barberries, weigela, and spirea.
You can throw them at the back of a mixed bored with Dogwoods, lilacs, Witchhazel, and chokeberry.
2. Juniper
The blue-green foliage of Junipe neuralizes the bright pink blooms of quince —giving it a nice contrast that brings out the flower colors.
On top of that, they are a versatile addition to any landscape or garden due to their practical uses as a privacy screen, spice, an ornamental plant, and insect repellent.
More so Junipers are low maintenance. They occasionally self-prune, shedding branches for survival.
Furthermore, their sap is rot resistant, let alone their medicinal aspect that is strongly root in Chinese and Native American cultures.
3. Tulips
Tulips bloom sets of classic flowers that also beautify the space around the quince trees.
The erect flowers come cup-shaped with long, broad, parallel-veined leaves. The color is anywhere from yellow and white to red.
More extensive and stronger it gets. Tulips also multiply and grow clumps each year. And even when prune or cut, trulips growths kick into full acceleration.
The flowers follow the sun even in a vase —a weird trait tulips exhibit. This makes you move them around your home during the day.
But it is best to have them in mass number in perennial beds or at a front border. And they will do well when they receive sufficient amount of spring sun.
4. Hyacinth
Having a couple of Hyacinths around is ALWAYS welcoming.
The bright green foliage and the tall spikes of eye-catching blooms are not even why Hyacinths are so popular.
But because of their intoxicating fragrance that travels at a distance.
Some people even call it “nature’s perfume.”
So adding a few hyacinths to occupy the vacancy next to your quince tree is definitely worth it.
Besides, Both plants thrive in similar soil types and weather conditions.
The sad news is that Hyacinths have a disappointingly short life span like most Asparagaceae family members.
Although they can live up to three to four years, you might notice a decline in flowering before then.
It is why many people treat them as an annual plant.
5. Daffodil
Not all hyacinths will settle in nicely with the brilliant color of the quinces. But the sizeable yellow blossom of the Daffodil will.
These plants will add a base color to your lonely quince tree and revitalize the area.
The flowers are fanciful, with a Corolla deeply cleft to six lobes with a trumpet shape that is frilled at the edges.
The standout feature is that it contains the stamens.
Aside from that, they are an excellent feast for early-season pollinators.
You can have them in pots, lanterns, and other containers. However, it is mainly seen within ornamental beds or borders.
6. Spirea
We are ending the list with a flowering shrub that takes the beauty of quince to an extra mile: Spirea.
Spirea are also versatile in their own little ways. You can use them for privacy lines, hedging, or massed in sloping place to help with erosion.
But most homeowners use this pretty, fuss-free plant as a background for showier flowers.
They add an extra dimension of beauty to the garden due to their fast-growing prestige bloom from late spring into summer.
They also like the fun sun, yet can tolerate partial shade. But they are NEVER a good choice for pots.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Fertilizer Is Best For Quince?
There are many fertilization options, but if grown in fertile soil, additional feeding like Benemeal or Growmore for three ozs per square yard –preferably given in March every year.
This will help improve the quality of the fruits while preventing biennial bearing.
However, there is a concern about giving too much nitrogen that will stimulate rapid vegetative growth.
While it sounds beneficial, it makes the tree susceptible to fire blight.
For that reason, it is best to avoid composted animal manures. Instead, opt for composted leaves.
But NEVER forget your annual pruning. It is key to keeping the shrub healthy.
What The Quince Tree Challenge You Are Most Likely To Face?
Most people who grow a trio of quince trees ALWAYS encounter issues with diseases, bugs, and squirrels.
Depending on your area, Squirrels are the Biggest quince challenge!!###.
They will leave bite marks on young fruits as they taste their way through your garden.
And once the fruit ripens, they perform outright fruit theft until you are left with little or nothing.
Most gardeners net the trees around (but it’s ugly!). It will work as a deterrent; however, the tree has to be dwarf-sized.
Another alternative is to use organza bags over the fruit. However, this option is great when you don’t have bountiful quince fruit.
Aside from that, bug and bacterial diseases are a HUGE concern.
Codling moth is one of those nuisance. Young caterpillars will tunnel in the fruit and exit a few weeks later before harvest.
In some years, the bug’s infestation might be high, and in others may be fewer. But if it is a home garden setting, embrace it wholeheartedly.
And since you cut the fruit before using it, you can remove the tunnels and the core.
There aren’t many bacterial diseases, but Fire blight is a reoccurring threat to quince trees.
It is the scourge of quince, apples, hawthorn, mountain ash, and pears.
I got acquainted with this disease when growing pears. And they aren’t funny.
The signs are as clear as the sky –leaves wilting and turning brown suddenly, giving a scorched-like appearance. Nearby leaves are also victims.
Fire blight infiltrates the trees through flowers, wounds, and pruning cuts made earlier in the year.
It is why most people prune only in winter. And more importantly, avoid pruning around flowering time.
But if your quince is harboring fire blight already, prune back 10 inches below the infected area. And clean the pruners with bleach or alcohol between each cut to avoid spreading.
What Is The Best Quince Variety To Grow?
We have a wide quince variety to choose from. No one is better than the other. They all come with their uniqueness.
But amongst Quince’s top 20 famous listed here, the old standard “Meech’s prolific” is the most adored.
Its prolific apple-shaped fruit has won the hearts of both growers and consumers. The trees are a tallish and somewhat sparse-styled tree.
You can’t also ignore the impressively HUGE and WEIGHTY fruits of the quince Vranjs.
These divinely perfumed yellow golden yellow, soft fruits get you hooked with each bite.
These two are the popular choice. But below are other quince varieties worth considering:
- Champion Quince Tree
- Lescovatza Quince Tree
- Le Bourgeaut Quince Trees
- Rea’s Mammoth Quince Tree
- Orange Quince Tree
- Cooke’s Jumbo Quince Tree
- Pineapple Quince Tree
- Rich’s Dwarf Quince Tree
- Smyrna Quince Tree
- Aromatnaya Quince Fruit Tree
- Lusitanica Quince Tree
- Riches Quince Tree
- Van Deman Quince Tree
- Serbian Gold Quince Tree
- Missouri Mammoth Quince Tree
- Bereczki Quince Tree
- Ludovic Quince Tree
- Shams Quince Tree
- Leskovac Quince Tree
Does Quince Grow Fast?
Hold your horses, antsy homeowner!
With quince, the patient dog eats the fattest bone.
Quince tree takes time to grow and produce fruit within five years. Although the ones grown from cuttings yield even sooner —maybe within three years.
They are not fast-growing bushes like blueberries, cranberry, grapevine, goji, or hazelnut. Instead, quince is a medium-growth tree that takes several years to reach it’s full six to ten-foot height.
However, you can see your quince tree live up to 50 years or more. But the economic lifespan is 25 years.
Conclusion
In conclusion, people don’t often consider quince trees companion plants.
They literally avoid the drama that comes with pairing.
Moreover, quince is a self-pollinating tree.
But on the contrary, fruiting trees may use extra encouragement from nearby plants even though they are independent.
Planting a couple of different species will help ramp up fruit production.
Related: