Early in the season, when landscapes are dominated by the bright yellow of Forsythias and daffodils, the comparatively rare quince (Chaenomeles japonica) shines with it's clear bright colors. My son and I make it a daily event to check a large specimen in the neighborhood for signs of bloom, we start this in late March and watch it come into full glory in mid-April. He has claimed it as his favorite spring flower. This shrub is suitable for any soil and situation. If left to grow it will become a rounded ten foot shrub. It can be grown from seed, or named varieties can be propagated from cuttings taken in midsummer.

As an added bonus, large fruits are borne after the flowers fade. These are often made into jelly. Because the quince is related to the rose, whose fruits are famous for their high vitamin C content, I would be interested to learn if quince fruits are also highly nutritious.
These photos were taken by my friend in Latvia, where these shrubs are known as Cido. She also sent me some seeds and I am now waiting for my plants to grow into a real Spring attraction.