Size
Ultimate height
2.5–4 metresTime to ultimate height
5–10 yearsUltimate spread
1.5–2.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Green | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | White | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | Red | ||
| Winter | Green | Red |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
West–facing or East–facing or South–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Habit
- Spreading branched
- Potentially harmful
- Fruits are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
- Genus
Pyracantha are evergreen shrubs or small trees, with spiny branches bearing simple leaves and corymbs of small white flowers followed by showy red, orange or yellow berries
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in a fertile, well drained soil in full sun or partial shade. In frost prone or exposed locations protect young plants while they establish.
Propagation
Propagate from semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings, or alternatively from seed. Pyracantha seed requires three months of cold stratification in order to germinate. Cultivars won't usually come true from seed
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Wildlife gardens
- Climber and wall shrubs
- Flower borders and beds
- Wall side borders
Pruning
Pyracantha flowers mainly on shoots produced the previous year, so when pruning try to retain as much two-year-old wood as possible. Wear thick gloves when pruning; as its common name (Firethorn) suggests, Pyracantha bears long and very sharp thorns.
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, woolly aphid, caterpillars, brown scale and leaf-mining moths
Diseases
May be susceptible to pyracantha scab and honey fungus
Get involved
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