Overview

Introduce a spectacular display of color to your garden with the Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince live plant. This exceptional variety of flowering quince, scientifically known as Chaenomeles speciosa ‘Scarlet Storm’, is celebrated for its truly magnificent, double, velvety, lipstick-red flowers. Unlike traditional quinces, this innovative cultivar is completely thornless, making it a joy to work with in any landscape. Arriving as a well-rooted starter plant, typically 6-9 inches tall, it is ready to establish itself and transform your outdoor space. The ‘Scarlet Storm’ offers an extended bloom period, beginning vigorously in spring and often providing occasional repeat blooms throughout the summer, ensuring continuous visual interest. Its robust nature and stunning floral show make it a highly desirable addition for gardeners seeking both beauty and resilience.

This deciduous shrub is known for its hardiness and adaptability, thriving in a variety of conditions. It’s an ideal choice for creating hedges, borders, or as a striking specimen plant. The dense, upright growth habit provides structure, while the profusion of vibrant red blossoms creates an unforgettable spectacle. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, the Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince is a rewarding plant that promises to deliver breathtaking beauty with minimal fuss.

Key Benefits

The Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince offers a multitude of advantages for any garden. Its unique characteristics make it a standout choice for both aesthetic appeal and ease of maintenance. Investing in this plant means enjoying a long-lasting, vibrant display with several practical benefits.

• Spectacular Red Blooms: Features large, double, velvety, lipstick-red flowers that create a dramatic visual impact in spring, with potential for reblooming in summer. These showy flowers are a true garden highlight.
• Thornless Variety: Unlike traditional quinces, this cultivar is completely thornless, making it safer and more pleasant to handle during planting and pruning. This is a significant advantage for gardeners with children or pets.
• Deer-Resistant: A fantastic option for gardens in areas prone to deer browsing. Deer typically avoid this shrub, protecting your investment and ensuring its beauty remains intact. This makes it a truly deer resistant shrub.
• No Fruit Set: This particular variety does not produce fruit, which means no messy clean-up or unwanted seedlings, allowing you to enjoy its flowers without additional hassle.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, this flowering quince shrub requires minimal care, making it suitable for busy gardeners or those new to plant care. It’s a robust and forgiving plant.
• Excellent Cut Flower: The vibrant red blooms make stunning additions to floral arrangements, bringing the beauty of your garden indoors. Their long-lasting nature makes them perfect for bouquets.
• Winter Hardy: Rated for USDA Zone 5, this shrub can withstand cold winter temperatures, ensuring it returns year after year with its impressive floral display.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Proper care ensures your Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince thrives and delivers its best performance. This resilient flowering quince shrub is relatively easy to care for, but understanding its specific needs will help it flourish. Providing the right conditions from the start will lead to a healthy and vibrant plant.

For optimal growth and abundant blooms, plant your Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince in a location that receives full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day. While it can tolerate some partial shade, full sun promotes the best flowering. The soil should be consistently moist but well-draining. Avoid areas where water tends to stand, as this can lead to root rot. A good quality, loamy soil enriched with organic matter is ideal. Once established, it has moderate drought tolerance but will perform best with regular watering during dry periods, especially in its first growing season. For ongoing vigor, consider a balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring before new growth begins.

This shrub is winter hardy to USDA Zone 5, meaning it can tolerate temperatures down to -20°F (-29°C). Pruning is best done after flowering to maintain shape and size, and to encourage new growth for the following season. Remove any dead, damaged, or crossing branches. Due to its thornless quince nature, pruning is a much more pleasant task. Pests and diseases are generally not a major concern for this robust plant. The Chaenomeles plant care for this variety is straightforward, making it a rewarding choice for both novice and experienced gardeners looking for a beautiful and low-maintenance option.

Size & Details

The Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince starter plant arrives well-rooted, typically measuring approximately 6-9 inches in height. This size is ideal for establishing quickly in your garden. As a deciduous shrub, it will grow to a mature height of 4-5 feet tall with a similar spread, creating a beautiful, rounded form. Its moderate growth rate allows it to fill out your landscape within a few seasons, providing a substantial presence.

This plant is shipped in a 3×4 inch pot, ensuring the root system is protected and ready for transplanting. Expect the first significant flush of its striking lipstick-red flowers in the spring, with the potential for sporadic reblooming throughout the summer months. The thornless nature of this variety makes it a gardener’s delight, simplifying handling and maintenance. It is a robust and long-lived plant, providing years of vibrant color and architectural interest to your outdoor space.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince typically grows to a mature height and spread of 4-5 feet, forming a dense, rounded shrub. It makes an excellent specimen or hedging plant.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: This is an outdoor plant, a hardy deciduous shrub that thrives in garden settings. It is winter hardy to USDA Zone 5.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This flowering quince shrub prefers full sun, meaning at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily, to produce the most abundant blooms. It can tolerate partial shade but may flower less.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince is considered low-maintenance once established. It’s a robust and forgiving plant, making Chaenomeles plant care relatively easy for gardeners of all skill levels.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your Double Take Scarlet Storm Quince will arrive as a well-rooted starter plant, approximately 6-9 inches tall, in a 3×4 inch pot, ready for planting. We ensure careful packaging for safe transit.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best time to plant this shrub is in spring or early fall. This allows the plant to establish its root system before extreme summer heat or winter cold.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This deer resistant shrub is winter hardy in USDA Zone 5, meaning it can withstand cold temperatures typical of that zone. If you are in a colder zone, consider providing winter protection.
• Q: Does this quince produce fruit? A: No, the ‘Double Take Scarlet Storm’ variety is sterile and does not produce fruit, eliminating any mess or unwanted seedlings typically associated with other quince varieties. It focuses all its energy on beautiful blooms.
• Q: Is it truly thornless? A: Yes, this specific cultivar is bred to be completely thornless, a significant improvement over traditional quince varieties and a key benefit of this thornless quince.
• Q: Can I use the flowers for cutting? A: Absolutely! The vibrant, long-lasting red blooms are excellent for cutting and can be used to create stunning indoor floral arrangements.