Ben here with the Monday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

March 22, 2021

Ben here with the Monday edition of #BenInNature presented by our friends at Carter Bank & Trust!

Back in the day, my grandpa went through a spell where he decided to plant dozens of trees and shrubs around the house (and I was recruited to help, which means I've forgotten more about digging holes than many people ever know). This particular tree is one of the first to bloom every spring, and for years I wondered what it was. As it turns out, it's Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis)!

Chinese quince is native to southern and eastern China, and it's the only species in its genus. It's a member of the massive family Rosaceae, which includes not only roses, but also raspberries, blackberries, apples, plums, strawberries, cherries, peaches, almonds, apricots, and many, many more.

While this particular tree has never produced fruit, Chinese quince can produce large fruits weighing up to a pound! The fruits resemble elongated yellow apples and they're quite hard and extremely astringent, so much so that they can only be made edible (or at least pleasant to eat) when cooked or made into jelly.

ABOUT #BenInNature
Social distancing can be difficult, but it presents a great opportunity to become reacquainted with nature. In this series of posts, Administrator of Science Ben Williams ventures outdoors to record a snapshot of the unique sights that can be found in the natural world. New updates are posted Monday - Friday, with previous posts highlighted on the weekends. This series of posts is made possible thanks to the support of VMNH Corporate Partner Carter Bank & Trust (www.cbtcares.com)

NATURE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS
If you discover something in nature that you would like help identifying, be sure to message us right here on Facebook with a picture (please include location and date of picture) and we'll have our experts help you identify it!