Chaenomeles japonica ‘Sargentii’

A smallish shrub of decorative flowers and fragrant fruit. The cultivar is recommended for all types of house gardens.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE: Leaves smallish, dark green, glossy, serrated. Flowers 3-4 cm across, decorative, orange, melliferous, precede the leaves in IV–V.  Fruit edible and nutritious, fragrant, hard, apple-shaped, yellow when ripe; ripening in IX–X. They should be picked before the first frost.

HOW IT GROWS: A low shrub with widely spread, thin shoots. It reaches 0.8 m height; grows slowly.

WHERE TO PLANT: Grows and yields fruit both in sunny and semi-shaded spots. Tolerates average, well-drained soil of neutral pH. Hardy (zone 5–8).

HOW TO PLANT AND MAINTAIN: Before planting immerse the plant container in water for 10-30 min.  Place the root ball in a 60 x 60 x 60 cm hole with a 10 cm layer of well-rotten manure. Fill the hole with fertile compost soil. Flatten the earth around the plant and cover with bark mulch. Place the root ball as deep as it was in the container. Fertilize from April and water adequately during growing season. The shrub does not require regular pruning. A light pruning can be performed once the plant thickens after a couple of seasons. Excessive pruning limits the fructification. It’s recommended to plant a couple of shrubs in a group.

HOW TO APPLY: An all-purpose plant suitable for house gardens and park settings.  Its fruit may be used for making jams, compote and tinctures.