Karp’s Sweet Quince

Cydonia oblonga ‘Karp’s Sweet’

Finally available to American gardeners, this quince is uniquely sweet, juicy and non-astringent, especially when grown in warm climates. Named for the fruit connoisseur and writer David Karp, this cultivar comes to us through Edgar Valdivia whose family grew it at lower elevations in Peru. We tasted fresh fruit Valdivia had grown in California, and it was sweeter and less woody than other quinces, living up to the moniker “white apple quince” as it is called in Peru, but it is more like other classic quince varieties in areas with cooler summers like the Pacific Northwest.

At the turn of the 20th century almost every rural family had a fruiting quince tree they relied on for medicine, pectin, and fragrant, long-lasting fruits. The varieties we offer have delightful pineapple-like flavors. They are prized for cooking, jelly making, and adding to apple cider. Quince trees are self fertile and showy, with big white blossoms in late spring and unusual, fuzzy yellow fruits in fall.

USDA Zone: 6 and up

Mature Height: 11′

Sun: Full Sun

Ripening Time: October

Pollination: Self-Fertile

Rootstock: Provence Quince BA29C