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.

Claribel is a Rusian quince that ripens mid October. The tree is productive and resistant to fungal diseases. The ripe fruit is large and crack resistant. A quince is typically gently roasted or poached before serving, or processed into jam, candy, compote, or custard. If you need inspiration, Barbara Ghazarian has published an entire cookbook devoted to quince recipes.

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. Caribel is an open-pollinated seedling of Maslenka Rannaya. It was received in America from Volgograd, Russia in 1990.