Quince care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Quince (Cydonia oblonga) wants full sun and a drink about every 7 days once established. It is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 9.
| scientific name | Cydonia oblonga |
|---|---|
| family | Rosaceae |
| category | fruit |
| plant type | perennial |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 7 |
| mature height cm | 500 |
| min zone | 5 |
| max zone | 9 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| edible | true |
How often should I water Quince?
Self-fertile; fruit must be cooked.
Is Quince toxic?
We do not have a verified toxicity record for this species, so we will not say either way. Treat it as unknown around pets and children until a vet or a poison-control source says otherwise.
Who eats it
Palatable to people: yes.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is medium. Its drought tolerance is low. It wants at least about 24 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 5.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 6.5. Its fertility requirement is low. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: no. It needs at least 120 frost-free days. Its tolerance of chalky soil is low. Its fire tolerance is low. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -23°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a single stem form. Its growth rate is slow. Its lifespan is moderate. It puts on most of its growth in summer. It spreads by seed at a slow rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. At maturity it reaches about 16.0 feet. By twenty years it is about 16 feet. Its roots go down at least 30 inches. Its shape is oval. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in spring. The flowers are white. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is coarse. In summer the canopy is porous in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: yes. The fruit or seed is yellow. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits low. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: yes.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: yes. Propagated by container: yes. Propagated by bare root: yes. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Seedling vigour is medium. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · 2026-09-02