Chaenomeles 'Madame Butterfly'

Chaenomeles ‘Madame Butterfly’ is a popular Japonica climber, deciduous shrub that blooms beautiful ornamental flowers in spring. Originating from Japan, these Japanese Quince are excellent wall or border flowering shrubs. Their thorny branches are covered with glossy dark-green leaves from spring to autumn.

These bare twigs are smothered with 5 petaled salmon pink and white flowers, with attractive yellow centres. These are early flowering plants that bloom from late winter to early spring, when other plants will lay dormant. Golden-yellow fruits are followed in autumn that are edible.

Madame Butterfly will thrive in a moist fertile and humus rich soil, that is well-drained. They prefer sunlight but also perform well in partial shade. These fully hardy shrubs will prefer a sunny position and grow drought tolerant.

Remove any side-shoots after flowering to 2-3 buds. Fertilization is not necessary unless the leaves really start turning pale green. Adding a liquid feed will support the plant with required nutrients.

Japanese Quince is ideally grown against a fence or wall side, as a striking freestanding shrub. You can train them over a trellis, or as hedging where their unusual but glimmering flowers with attract bees and butterflies.