Quince (Cydonia) Serbian Gold 12L

'Serbian Gold' is a beautiful and productive quince from Serbia, and it holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. It forms a compact tree, which makes it a good choice for smaller gardens. Its oval leaves have soft, silvery-grey undersides and turn warm yellow in autumn. In spring the branches are covered in white to pale pink blossom, followed by heavy crops of large, rounded, apple-shaped quinces. They ripen to a rich golden yellow with a wonderful aromatic fragrance. It ripens earlier than most quinces, and the fruit is ready to pick from late September. Store the quinces somewhere cool for a few weeks to let the fragrance and flavour develop fully before using them. The fruit is too hard to eat raw, but gentle cooking turns the flesh a beautiful rose-pink and makes superb jellies, jams, membrillo and purées. It is also delicious roasted, baked or added to apple dishes. It is self-fertile, so a single tree will crop well on its own.

Plant in full sun in a warm, sheltered spot, ideally facing south or west, where the fruit will ripen best. Quinces grow in clay or loam and do best in deep, fertile, moist but well-drained soil. Improve poorer ground with well-rotted compost or manure before planting, and water well while the tree establishes and during dry spells. Little pruning is needed beyond removing dead, damaged or crossing branches in winter to keep an open, balanced shape. 'Serbian Gold' shows good resistance to quince leaf blight. The seeds contain toxins, so remove them before cooking, and keep fallen fruit away from pets. It is hardy across most of the UK (RHS H5). Size depends on the rootstock, with the RHS giving a height and spread of 2.5–4m within 10–20 years.

Supplied in a 12 litre pot. Each tree is hand-selected before dispatch.

Available from Pengelly Garden Centre.