Chinese quince as bonsai

[Bonbon]

Is Chinese quince mainly for autumn leaves colour?
Flowers not commonly seen. Not like Japanese flowering quince.

[melbrackstone]

Chinese Quince have beautiful bark and often get fluted trunks.

[shibui]

Yes, Chinese quince are probably most valued for the trunk and bark. As the bark sheds each year the trunk takes on a leopard skin patchwork of browns, greys and oranges.
They do flower - 2-3 cm pale pink single flowers. Very nice but I have not been very successful at getting them to flower and fruit in the bonsai pot - possibly pruning, maybe nutrition?
They also produce fruit - Large golden smooth skinned fruits with a lovely aroma. they taste great when cooked and make the most wonderful quince jelly, etc. Not recommended to allow bonsai to develop fruit as it takes a great deal of energy from the tree. They are sometimes shown in Japanese exhibitions with fruit but these have almost always been taken from a garden tree and tied in place just for the effect.

My Chinese quinces don't ramify very well so the bark and trunk seems to be the best attributes as bonsai.

[GavinG]

Ground-growing can get good thick trunks with interesting angles quite easily - the scars from large branches can add to the effect.

Gavin