Quince (Cydonia oblonga) trees are self-fertile, but will be more productive with a pollen partner. In spring, toward the end of apple bloom, the tree will produce showy, white or pink blooms on new growth. Like other pome fruits it should be lightly pruned in winter when fully dormant, and it is usually trained into a vase or open-centered tree as its growth habit does not lend itself to a strong central leader. Quince is susceptible to fireblight. Although pear trees can be grafted onto quince rootstocks, the reverse is not true, and quince will not thrive on a pear rootstock.

Portugal is an old quince variety from - you guessed it - Portugal.  The tree is vigorous, large, and spreading. The ripe fruit is very large, almost orange, oblong-oval, and covered in a thick fuzz. The flesh is quite juicy and cooks to an attractive deep crimson. Portugal ripens early in quince season (October-November), about 10 days before Orange.

Although quince is no longer a popular fruit in contemporary America, it was revered in Ancient Greece and Middle East as the fruit of love and happiness, and it may have been the infamous "apple" of the Garden of Eden (The biblical name for quince translates as "golden apple".) In colonial America, the fruit was a valuable source of pectin and flavoring for jams, jellies, and candies.