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Plant care

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' (Crimson and Gold flowering quince) care

Chaenomeles × superba 'Crimson and Gold'

Also called Crimson and Gold flowering quince.

RHS H6USDA 5-8Mildly toxic to petsIndoor Around 1-1.5 m tall and 1.5-2 m wide.

Watering rhythm

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Water while establishing; drought-tolerant once settled

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Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Any moderately fertile, well-drained soil

Humidity

Outdoor ambient

Temp

-29 to 30°C

Pet safety

Mildly toxic to pets

Mature size

Around 1-1.5 m tall and 1.5-2 m wide.

Care at a glance

Light

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' needs sun on the leaves, not just bright ambient room light. Flowers most freely in full sun but performs well in partial shade, including on cold north- or east-facing walls where the early blossom is still reliable. A south or west-facing windowsill in the northern hemisphere is the default; anywhere else, expect the plant to stretch and pale out within a season.

Watering

Water flowering quince 'crimson and gold' water while establishing; drought-tolerant once settled. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Water young plants through their first seasons and in dry spells. Established shrubs are notably tough and drought-tolerant, needing little supplementary irrigation in temperate gardens.

Soil and pot

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' grows best in any moderately fertile, well-drained soil. Highly adaptable to clay, loam, sand and chalk across a wide pH; only very alkaline chalk may cause leaf yellowing. Tolerates poor soils but resents waterlogging. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' sits happiest at around Outdoor ambient humidity and -29 to 30°C (-20 to 86°F). No humidity requirement outdoors. Open siting and thinning of congested, spiny growth improve airflow and reduce fungal leaf spotting. If you keep the room above year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed flowering quince 'crimson and gold' sparingly. Low-maintenance. A spring mulch of compost or a single balanced feed suffices; rich feeding is unnecessary and can reduce flowering in favour of leafy growth. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on flowering quince 'crimson and gold' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Reduced bloom after hard spring pruning — It flowers on older wood and spurs; pruning hard in late winter cuts off flower buds. Prune after flowering and shorten side-shoots to spurs.
  • Fireblight — As a pome relative, it can suffer this bacterial disease, blackening shoots; cut out affected wood well below the damage and disinfect tools.
  • Leaf spot and chlorosis — Fungal leaf spotting in wet years and yellowing on very alkaline soil; improve airflow and amend strongly chalky ground with organic matter.
  • Suckering and thorns — It suckers and forms a thorny thicket; remove unwanted suckers and wear gloves when pruning the spiny stems.

Propagation

Propagated by softwood or semi-ripe cuttings, layering, or division/removal of rooted suckers; seed is possible but seedlings of the cultivar will not come true. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' is mildly toxic to pets. Chaenomeles is not individually listed on the ASPCA toxic or non-toxic plant database, and sources conflict (some list it as cat-safe while others flag it as toxic to cats), so its status is unconfirmed by that authority; treat with caution and verify with a vet rather than assuming pet-safe. The fruits are very astringent raw and best cooked. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Chaenomeles × superba 'Crimson and Gold'?

Chaenomeles × superba 'Crimson and Gold' is most commonly called Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold', but it is also known as Crimson and Gold flowering quince. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' apply identically to anything sold as Crimson and Gold flowering quince.

How much light does flowering quince 'crimson and gold' need?

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Flowers most freely in full sun but performs well in partial shade, including on cold north- or east-facing walls where the early blossom is still reliable.

How often should I water flowering quince 'crimson and gold'?

Water flowering quince 'crimson and gold' water while establishing; drought-tolerant once settled. Water young plants through their first seasons and in dry spells. Established shrubs are notably tough and drought-tolerant, needing little supplementary irrigation in temperate gardens. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is flowering quince 'crimson and gold' toxic to cats and dogs?

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' is mildly toxic to pets. Chaenomeles is not individually listed on the ASPCA toxic or non-toxic plant database, and sources conflict (some list it as cat-safe while others flag it as toxic to cats), so its status is unconfirmed by that authority; treat with caution and verify with a vet rather than assuming pet-safe. The fruits are very astringent raw and best cooked.

What USDA hardiness zone does flowering quince 'crimson and gold' grow in?

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' is rated for USDA zone 5-8 and RHS hardiness H6. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of flowering quince 'crimson and gold' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' qualifies for 4 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Flowering Quince 'Crimson and Gold' is also commonly called Crimson and Gold flowering quince.