Scarlet firethorn is a thorny evergreen shrub that loads up with clusters of orange-red berries in fall and often holds them through winter. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia, but it is a common landscape shrub in the United States, where it has also escaped from gardens in places. The name Pyracantha combines the Greek words for fire and thorn.
Appearance
- Growth form
- A stiff, upright shrub usually 6–18 ft (2–5.5 m) tall and about as wide. Stems carry many sharp spines ½–¾ in. (1–2 cm) long.
- Leaves
- Glossy dark green leaves, 1–2½ in. (2.5–6 cm) long, narrowly oval with blunt teeth; paler underneath.
- Flowers
- Tight clusters of small white five-petaled flowers, about ⅓ in. (8 mm) across, open in late spring to early summer. Many people find their smell unpleasant.
- Fruit
- Small berry-like fruits (), about ¼ in. (6 mm) wide, ripen orange-red in fall and can last into winter.
Look-alikes
Formosa firethornPyracantha koidzumii
Scarlet firethorn leaves are widest near the middle, while Formosa firethorn leaves are widest near the squared-off tip. Scarlet firethorn is also the hardier of the two in cold areas.
Why they get mixed upBoth are thorny landscape shrubs with white flowers and red berries.
Where it lives
- Typical habitats
- Gardens
- Hedges
- Disturbed ground near plantings
- Range
- Native to southern Europe and western Asia, east to Iran. In the US it is planted widely and has escaped from cultivation in some areas, including California.
- Preferred conditions
- Grows best in full sun to part shade in well-drained soil, and tolerates clay, drought, heat, and moderate salt. Hardy in USDA zones 6a–9b; protect it from cold winds at the northern edge.
Life cycle
- Seed dispersal
- Birds eat the fruit and spread the seeds.
Growing it
- Care
- Used as a thorny barrier hedge, on slopes, or trained flat against a wall. It is hard to transplant once established. Scab and fire blight are the main problems; several named cultivars are sold as resistant to both.
- Toxicity
- Firethorn fruit flesh is not poisonous but tastes bland. The seeds contain small amounts of cyanide-forming compounds, and chewing a lot of raw seeds can cause mild stomach upset.
Name and classification
- Varieties and forms
- Many firethorns sold in the US are named cultivars. 'Lalandei' has larger, more orange fruit, and 'Kasan' is a very cold-hardy cultivar raised in Russia.
Conservation
- IUCN Red List
- NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed
- Status
- California rates it a "Limited" invasive plant, meaning its impact on wild areas statewide is minor.
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