Quince
Can I Grow Pineapple Quince?
Pineapple Quince is the most popular quince variety — large, golden fruit with an intoxicating tropical aroma. Too hard and astringent to eat raw, it transforms into something magical when cooked into paste, jelly, or poached desserts.
Growing Requirements
Chill Hours
300
Hardiness Zones
5-6-7-8-9
Harvest
October to November
Results
Enter your zip code to see if Pineapple Quince will thrive in your area.
You checked if it'll grow. Now make sure you remember what happens when it does.
Pruning dates, harvests, spray schedules, what worked. The gardeners who get the most from their trees are the ones who kept records.
Start your free tree logFree for up to 30 plants. No card needed.
About Pineapple Quince
Pineapple Quince is the most popular quince variety — large, golden fruit with an intoxicating tropical aroma. Too hard and astringent to eat raw, it transforms into something magical when cooked into paste, jelly, or poached desserts.
Pineapple Quince requires 300 chill hours — the number of hours between 32°F and 45°F during winter dormancy. Without enough chill, the tree may fail to flower properly or produce poor fruit.
⚠️ Common Challenges
Cannot be eaten raw; susceptible to fire blight like pears; fruit must be cooked to be edible.
❌ Common Misconception
Will Pineapple Quince produce more fruit in colder climates?
Not necessarily. Pineapple Quince only needs 300 chill hours. Planting in very cold zones (4 or colder) risks winter damage without improving fruit production. The ideal zones are 5-9 where the tree gets enough chill without excessive cold stress.
If you plant it, write it down.
Variety, rootstock, planting date — and every pruning and harvest after that. Future you will thank you.
Free for up to 30 plants. No card needed.
Chill hour data from Open-Meteo Historical Weather API. Variety information compiled from university extension services.