Overview

Chaenomeles speciosa 'Versicolor Lutescens' is a bushy, spreading branched shrubs in the genus Chaenomeles, part of the Rosaceae family, with deciduous foliage. Chaenomeles speciosa 'Versicolor Lutescens' grows best in full sun and partial shade, and tolerates most soils and any pH. Its UK hardiness is rated H6. Suggested uses include city and courtyard gardens, coastal, cottage and informal garden and wildlife gardens.

About

Chaenomeles speciosa 'Versicolor Lutescens' is a deciduous shrub belonging to the Rosaceae family. Like others in the Chaenomeles genus, it features a bushy, spreading branched habit with simple leaves. This cultivar produces cup-shaped flowers in spring, which may appear alone or in clusters, followed by edible fruits that can be fragrant and range in colour from green to yellow. It thrives best in full sun or partial shade, preferring well-drained soil types including chalk, clay, loam, and sand, and is hardy to UK zone H6.

About the genus

Chaenomeles is a genus of four species of deciduous spiny shrubs, usually 1–3 m tall, in the family Rosaceae. They are native to Eastern Asia. These plants are related to the quince and the Chinese quince, differing in the serrated leaves that lack fuzz, and in the flowers, borne in clusters, having deciduous sepals and styles that are connate at the base.

Wikipedia contributors, "Chaenomeles", CC BY-SA 4.0 — Chaenomeles

Growing conditions

Best soil and position for Chaenomeles

Sunlight

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil type

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Soil pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

Soil moisture

Moist but well-drained, Well-drained

Aspect

North-facing, West-facing, East-facing

Exposure

Sheltered

UK hardiness

H6

Plant details

Chaenomeles speciosa 'Versicolor Lutescens' size, habit and characteristics

Plant type

Shrubs, Fruit Edible

Habit

Bushy, Spreading branched

Foliage

Deciduous

Suggested uses

City and courtyard gardens, Coastal, Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens

Care notes

Pruning and caring for Chaenomeles speciosa 'Versicolor Lutescens'

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer or layering in autumn

Pest resistance

May be susceptible to scale insects, brown scale and aphids

Disease resistance

May be susceptible to fireblight, blossom wilt, brown rot and honey fungus (rarely)

Frequently asked questions