‘Double Take Eternal White’ Quince (Chaenomeles speciosa ‘SMNCSDW’ PPAF) is an ornamental shrub offering beauty and practicality for various garden settings. This cultivar is low-maintenance, thornless, and fruitless, making it an appealing choice for many gardeners.
Unique Characteristics of ‘Double Take Eternal White’ Quince
This flowering quince cultivar is thornless, making handling and pruning safer. It also does not produce fruit, eliminating messy clean-up.
Its striking feature is a profusion of pure white, camellia-like double blooms. These large flowers initially emerge with a subtle lime-green hue before maturing into bright white. The bloom period is notably long, typically beginning in mid-spring and continuing into early summer, with sporadic reblooming extending into the fall season.
‘Double Take Eternal White’ Quince generally reaches 2 to 4 feet tall and spreads 4 to 5 feet wide, exhibiting a mounded, wider-than-tall growth habit. It is a deciduous shrub with dark green foliage that provides a pleasing contrast to the white flowers. This cultivar is hardy in USDA Zones 5 through 9, resisting deer and tolerating heat and drought once established.
Planting and Establishment
Plant ‘Double Take Eternal White’ Quince in fall or early spring. This timing allows the plant to establish its root system before the stresses of summer heat or winter cold. Site selection is important; the shrub performs best in full sun to partial shade, requiring at least four to six hours of direct sunlight daily.
The plant adapts to various soil types but thrives in well-draining conditions. An ideal soil pH is slightly acidic to promote better bloom development. When planting, dig a hole that is twice as wide as the root ball and as deep. If the existing soil is very poor, amending it with compost can improve its structure and fertility.
Place the quince in the center of the hole, ensuring the top of the root ball is level with the surrounding ground. Backfill the hole with soil, gently tamping it down to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the roots. If planting multiple shrubs, space them approximately 4 to 5 feet apart to allow for their mature spread and ensure adequate air circulation.
Ongoing Care and Maintenance
Once established, ‘Double Take Eternal White’ Quince requires relatively straightforward care, contributing to its low-maintenance appeal. While established plants are drought tolerant, consistent watering is beneficial, especially during prolonged dry periods and for younger plants. When watering, direct the flow to the base of the shrub to minimize moisture on the foliage, which helps prevent fungal issues.
Fertilization is minimal. Apply a slow-release granular fertilizer or compost in late winter or early spring, before new growth emerges, to support vigorous blooming. Alternatively, use a fertilizer formulated for flowering woody shrubs around the drip line.
Pruning for shaping or size maintenance is best performed immediately after the spring blooming period. This timing allows the plant to set new growth for the following season’s flowers, as quince blooms on old wood. Remove any dead, diseased, or broken branches. For rejuvenation, remove about one-third of older, thicker stems every four to six years.
Landscaping Applications
The ‘Double Take Eternal White’ Quince offers a wide array of landscaping possibilities due to its appealing characteristics and adaptable growth habit. Its dense, multi-stemmed form and profuse white blooms make it a stunning specimen plant, capable of standing out as a focal point in a garden bed. The shrub’s compact size and wider-than-tall habit also lend themselves well to mass plantings.
This quince is an excellent choice for foundation plantings, providing year-round structure and vibrant spring color near buildings. It can also be utilized to form an informal hedge or barrier, offering a beautiful screen without the need for constant trimming. Its attractive foliage and long blooming period make it a valuable addition to mixed borders, where it can complement other shrubs and perennials. The thornless branches and abundant flowers also make it suitable for cutting gardens, providing fresh blooms for indoor arrangements.