Last week, I saw these blossoms leaving work one day.
I had noticed the buds earlier, but there’s that pink glow trees get in February when buds start to swell and I passed by hurrying in until one evening I saw them and got a whiff of the scent at the same time. Oh my!
I think they’re a few weeks early, but we haven’t actually had winter yet, just averagely coldish weather in the 40’s F. Still, these things are magical, coming in midwinter, giving a lift of relief to the beautiful starkness.
I’ve been meaning to go to Dumbarton Oaks to see the snowdrops, which I’m pretty sure are out, and to see whether the magical flowering quince is out there as well.
But what a treat to see these! And all week long, no extra visit required!
There are two sets of these. This one has a more southern exposure and blossomed sooner. I photographed them so you could see how they were planted. In my usual way, when I saw the other ones in full bloom, I was so mesmerized I never stepped back for a big picture. Honestly, if there’s a place faeries live, it must be flowering quince.
arlingwords 
Those are beautiful trees, Lisa! Do you know what they are?
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Flowering Quince. You need one for your property!!!!!
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Gorgeous – as is quince jelly!
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Oh, I love that–or just cooked with honey and topped with yogurt! I don’t think these produce fruit, though or I’d have been stealing them for cooking last fall.
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Yes – I’d imagine that (like a flowering cherry) the flowering quince doesn’t produce fruit. In fact, my fruit-producing quince tree has white blossoms!
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Yes, you get the fruit but not the showiness.
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Lovely set, Lisa.
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Thanks, Derrick
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I don’t believe we have these in the UK unless I’m going around with eyes closed! They are very lovely.
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Ah, I think you should keep your eyes peeled. Saki (HH Munro) wrote a story called The Quince Tree and I think there’s another one by an English author called The Flowering Quince and I can’t remember the author’s name–But one of the points of it its that the flowering quince doesn’t bear fruit, if I remember correctly.
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Just done a little research. The Quince does best in a warm climate but can be grown in the milder, dryer parts of England. Which explains why I don’t see them up here in the damp northern parts! That said, I don’t doubt for a moment that someone in a sheltered spot up here will have managed to grow one successfully it’s Sod’s Law!
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It does seem a bit early for them to be in full bloom…… but who will say ‘no’ to that! Beautiful ❤
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They have an astonishing scent as well.
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So pretty! This location is the perfect microclimate to make this happen. Pretty amazing to see these bloom in January! I must admit that even I am checking spots for early snowdrops because it has been so mild. Of course, our north-facing slope still has snow, but there are spots opening up around trees and low areas.
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We do get snow drops in late January to early Feb, depending on the weather. I’m sure they’re out. The quince usually are early, but I’ve never seen them in January. They are sheltered in this spot, so that accounts for part of it. I hope you have some snowdrops to lighten the winter days.
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Stunning photos, Lisa! Good to see these during winter days!
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Yes, it is. Thanks, Leah!
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I think you’ve just solved a mystery for me. Every spring I see occasional, wonderful trees with blooms just this color that neither I nor my friends have been able to identify. Of course I could have asked at our garden shop or such, but I just didn’t. Now, I’m sure “this” is “them.” Our redbuds, hawthorne, and Bradford pear are pretty easy, but these are stunning. If I had a yard, I’d plant one!
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They are amazing! Each year when I see them, I’m just mesmerized. And the bloom is always early enough to seem the result of some sort of magic.
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Beautiful flowers that feel like spring!
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Yes, they bring hope in winter!
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Very much needed!
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I love the look of those deep red flowers in bloom! The weather everywhere is off. We had 60 degrees yesterday and 33 tonight. Plants are all confused. No real snow this year either. I may get time to work in the garden this week.Spring will be early this year. I’m glad you finally looked up and noticed the trees.
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Thanks, Marlene. I’m glad I saw them, too. They startled me last year as well. We’ve been having warm winters and long, cold springs the past few years. Who knows what will transpire?
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Spring elicits some amazing scents. I can almost “smell” your trees. Never mind that spring is still several weeks away, it’s good that you can enjoy them now. My hyacinth seem to come up earlier and earlier each year. They too smell lovely.
I’m so glad you’ve had this view all week and that you remembered, too, to take some pictures.
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Yes–my favorite spring scents are Holly blossoms and Magnolia…And all summer, the roses. Goodness, I could go on. Rest and heal!
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Thank you, Lisa. We have a Magnolia but it’s not really scented. Weird, eh? My top scents are orange blossoms and Jasmine, Hyacinth and gardenia.
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Lovely, absolutely lovely.
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Thanks, Laurie.
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Beautiful trees and they would definitely brighten one’s day.
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And they smell good too.
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When our family lived only over the hill from my present location, we had to drive twenty minutes down the valley to church on Sundays, and in springtime the children would spend the journey tallying up the flowering quince bushes or trees that were scattered generouosly throughout the gardens and along the roadsides. I never see them in my current more suburban landscape, which makes me think of them as old fashioned. And I miss them. Your pictures are wonderful. Thank you!
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Thanks for coming by! I think they ARE an old fashioned plant. They are around neighborhoods here where houses and landscapes are old, but they are also in new plantings–as the ones I photographed obviously are.
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A sight for sore eyes in winter! Not wanting to hasten climate change at all, but I envy all the gardeners who have an earlier spring than we do here in Ontario. Thanks for the glorious pix.
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I couldn’t live where you do, Cynthia! Much less have your garden.
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Gorgeous color! We haven’t had a real winter this year, either. So much is appearing early. I noticed my Clematis armandii is blooming today. I love seeing the blooms, but it does worry me. Enjoy the quinces!
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After savoring your blog post, I am eager to find a quince tree in the Boston area so that I can experience the scent as well as the visual beauty. One snowdrop in our front yard and many crocus pushing green shoots out of the earth towards the sky… Thank you for this flowering quince education!
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You’ve got time to catch them, if they grow up there. Probably in some sheltered private garden. Here they were apparently popular years ago and are in yards as well. Thanks for stopping by!
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The quince is amazing. Even the fruiting one have beautiful gentle white flowers.
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There’s something magical about flowering quince. I always find myself mesmerized by it.
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