Two red Chaenomeles speciosa flowers with yellow anthers sit beside green leaves on a woody branch

Chaenomeles speciosa (Flowering Quince)

Native to China, this deciduous shrub in the rose family grows about 6 to 12 feet tall, with dense, often thorny branches. In North Carolina, USA, its red, pink, or white flowers open in late winter and early spring, often before the leaves emerge. Its hard, yellow-green fruits are tart when fresh but can be cooked into jellies and preserves; the seeds contain toxins and should be removed. It is naturalized in Connecticut and Massachusetts, USA. Photographed in Bogotá, Colombia.

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A red Chaenomeles speciosa flower has broad rounded petals and clustered yellow anthers beside a toothed green leaf

An orange Chaenomeles speciosa flower has curled petals surrounding yellow anthers against a dark woody stem

A scarlet Chaenomeles speciosa flower opens its five broad petals around yellow anthers beside a gray branch

Red Chaenomeles speciosa flowers with yellow anthers cluster among dark green leaves on a woody stem

A red Chaenomeles speciosa flower has overlapping petals and pale yellow anthers beside a glossy green leaf

A red Chaenomeles speciosa flower with curled petals and reddish stamens sits on a bare twig

Numerous red Chaenomeles speciosa flowers grow among small green leaves across a tangle of woody branches