Pyronia veitchii

At a glance

Lifecycle: Perennial (hardy)
Exposure: Full sun
Frost limit: −23.3 °C

Cultivation

Prefers a good well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position. This plant is a bi-generic hybrid between a quince and a pear. The main flowering time is in the spring but plants often also produce flowers in the autumn.

Propagation

Seed - the fruit is usually seedless and, since it is a bi-generic hybrid, even if seed is produced it is not going to breed true. If you do come across seed then it is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. Sow stored seed in late winter in a cold frame. The seed may take 12 months or more to germinate. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in late spring of the following year. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, June/July in a frame, or of mature wood, November in a frame, can be tried but are unlikely to bring much success. The most productive means of propagation are budding or grafting.

Edible uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. The fruit is usually seedless.

Habitat

Not known in the wild.

Native range

A garden hybrid, Cydonia oblonga var. 'Portugal' x Pyrus communis 'Bergamotte Esperen'.