Docynia delavayi
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −12.2 °C
Cultivation
Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny position. This species is only hardy in the milder areas of Britain. The genus is closely related to the quince, Cydonia oblonga.
Propagation
Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the autumn in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Edible uses
Fruit - raw, cooked or used in preserves.
Material uses
The fruits of this plant are used to promote the ripening of persimmons, Diospyros kaki. The fruits of each species are placed in alternate layers in a large container, they are then covered with rice husks and in 10 hours the persimmons are ready for eating.
Habitat
Riversides in valleys, mixed forests and mountainous areas at elevations of 1000 - 3000 metres in W Guizhou, W Sichuan and NW Yunnan Provinces.
Native range
E. Asia - China.