Chaenomeles superba orange beauty
£22.00
Description
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Flowering Quince, Japanese Quince
- Botanical Name: Chaenomeles × superba ‘Orange Beauty’
- Plant Type: Deciduous flowering shrub
- Mature Height: 1.2–1.8m
- Mature Spread: 1.5–2m
- Flowering Period: March to April (often with a few repeat flowers)
- Flower Colour: Rich orange blooms
- Foliage: Glossy mid-green leaves; good autumn colour in some seasons
- Fruit: Small, quince-like yellow fruits in autumn (fragrant; best cooked)
- Hardiness: RHS H6 (hardy throughout UK & Ireland)
- Soil Requirements: Moist, well-drained soil; tolerant once established
- Aspect: Full sun to partial shade
- Maintenance: Low to moderate (pruning after flowering)
Description
Chaenomeles × superba ‘Orange Beauty’ is one of the most uplifting sights of early spring—an easy, reliable shrub that bursts into rich orange bloom just as the garden is waking up. When so much is still bare, it arrives with real confidence: bright, flame-toned flowers held along twiggy stems, bringing warmth, colour, and that first proper feeling of the season turning.
The flowers are beautifully simple and intensely cheerful, opening in clusters to create a bold display that looks wonderful against brick, stone, or evergreen backdrops. As the year progresses, glossy green leaves fill out the shrub, forming a dense, useful shape that works brilliantly in mixed borders or as an informal hedge. In autumn, you may also see small yellow fruits forming—fragrant and quince-like, perfect for cooking into jellies or preserves if you’re feeling inspired.
Hardy and unfussy, ‘Orange Beauty’ thrives in Irish and UK gardens, coping well with a range of soils and conditions once established. It’s a brilliant choice for gardeners who want maximum impact with minimal fuss—especially in that precious early-spring window when colour feels like a gift.
Caragh Garden Notebook
Planting:
Space plants 1.2–1.8m apart depending on whether you want a single specimen or a fuller hedge effect. Plant container-grown specimens year-round, ideally in spring (March–May) or autumn (September–October). Choose a position in full sun to partial shade—full sun gives the best flowering and helps ripen any fruit. Dig a generous hole, loosen the soil well, and incorporate compost to support establishment. Plant at the same depth as in the pot, firm in gently, water thoroughly, and mulch.
Space plants 1.2–1.8m apart depending on whether you want a single specimen or a fuller hedge effect. Plant container-grown specimens year-round, ideally in spring (March–May) or autumn (September–October). Choose a position in full sun to partial shade—full sun gives the best flowering and helps ripen any fruit. Dig a generous hole, loosen the soil well, and incorporate compost to support establishment. Plant at the same depth as in the pot, firm in gently, water thoroughly, and mulch.
Soil Preparation:
Prefers moist, well-drained soil but is very adaptable. Tolerates clay, loam, and sandy soils as long as drainage is reasonable. Improve heavy clay with organic matter to help drainage; improve sandy soils with compost to retain moisture. Mulch annually to feed the soil and keep moisture levels steady.
Prefers moist, well-drained soil but is very adaptable. Tolerates clay, loam, and sandy soils as long as drainage is reasonable. Improve heavy clay with organic matter to help drainage; improve sandy soils with compost to retain moisture. Mulch annually to feed the soil and keep moisture levels steady.
Seasonal Care:
Water during prolonged dry spells in the first 1–2 years while establishing. Once settled, it’s fairly drought-tolerant. Feed in spring with a balanced fertiliser if growth is slow, though it’s generally not demanding.
Water during prolonged dry spells in the first 1–2 years while establishing. Once settled, it’s fairly drought-tolerant. Feed in spring with a balanced fertiliser if growth is slow, though it’s generally not demanding.
Pruning (Best Flowers Next Year):
Prune after flowering (late spring) to maintain shape and encourage strong new growth that will carry next year’s blooms. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing stems, and lightly thin congested growth to improve airflow. Older shrubs can be renovated gradually by removing a portion of the oldest stems at the base over a couple of seasons.
Prune after flowering (late spring) to maintain shape and encourage strong new growth that will carry next year’s blooms. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing stems, and lightly thin congested growth to improve airflow. Older shrubs can be renovated gradually by removing a portion of the oldest stems at the base over a couple of seasons.
Training Options:
Can be grown as a free-standing shrub, used as an informal hedge, or trained against a wall or fence for a more architectural look and heavier flowering.
Can be grown as a free-standing shrub, used as an informal hedge, or trained against a wall or fence for a more architectural look and heavier flowering.
Pests & Problems:
Generally trouble-free. Keep an eye out for aphids on soft new growth in spring. Good airflow helps prevent fungal issues.
Generally trouble-free. Keep an eye out for aphids on soft new growth in spring. Good airflow helps prevent fungal issues.
Propagation:
Propagate from semi-ripe cuttings in summer, or by layering. (Nursery plants give the quickest impact and best flowering performance.)
Propagate from semi-ripe cuttings in summer, or by layering. (Nursery plants give the quickest impact and best flowering performance.)
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