Flowering Quince, Austin, Texas, USA. Spring is coming!
Best viewed LARGE. Flowering Quince, also called Japonica, (Chaenomeles speciosa), is one of the first flowers to appear in the spring, and is also one of the most beautiful with it's pink coral color. The flowers are about the size of a quarter and attract bees and small birds. This plant has been used in the United states for centuries and is a long lived plant. One web site described how old abandoned homesteads can sometimes be recongnized in the early spring by the Flowering Quince which can survive for many years with no pruning or care. Some varieties produce a tart, pear-looking fruit, but I've never seen one. The lighting on this photo is early morning sunlight, hence the horizational shadows of the stamen on the petal.
Flowering Quince, Austin, Texas, USA. Spring is coming!
Best viewed LARGE. Flowering Quince, also called Japonica, (Chaenomeles speciosa), is one of the first flowers to appear in the spring, and is also one of the most beautiful with it's pink coral color. The flowers are about the size of a quarter and attract bees and small birds. This plant has been used in the United states for centuries and is a long lived plant. One web site described how old abandoned homesteads can sometimes be recongnized in the early spring by the Flowering Quince which can survive for many years with no pruning or care. Some varieties produce a tart, pear-looking fruit, but I've never seen one. The lighting on this photo is early morning sunlight, hence the horizational shadows of the stamen on the petal.