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Portrait of Firethorn

Nature · Shrubs

Firethorn

Neophyte · Old World species · evergreen, 2.5–4 m · flowers late spring · walls, hedges and gardens

Pyracantha coccinea and allies — Rosaceae

Firethorn, or pyracantha, is the thorny evergreen wall shrub whose clusters of orange or red berries blaze on house fronts and hedges each autumn. The genus name means 'fire thorn', from the fiery berries and sharp spines. It is a member of the rose family, related to hawthorn, and is widely planted for security hedging and for birds, though the fruit is not for people to eat.

How to spot them

  • ▸Dense, upright to spreading evergreen with stiff, sharp thorns along the branches
  • ▸Small, dark green, glossy oval leaves, finely toothed or almost entire
  • ▸Flat clusters of small white flowers in late spring, on the previous year's growth
  • ▸Profusion of bright orange, red or yellow berries in autumn, which stay into winter
  • ▸Look-alikes: hawthorn is deciduous with lobed leaves and dull red haws; cotoneaster has no thorns

How to know it

A thorny evergreen wall shrub carrying dense clusters of orange-red berries from autumn into winter

Firethorn — Pyracantha.

Its genus name is Greek for 'fire' and 'thorn'

Firethorn — Pyracantha, from pyr and akantha.

A rose-family shrub related to hawthorn, it is often grown as a burglar-deterrent hedge because of its spines

Firethorn.

Its berries are ornamental and not to be eaten, though birds take them in winter

Firethorn.

Small white flowers open in late spring on the previous year's growth and attract pollinators

Firethorn.

Quick-fire facts

  • •Pyracantha, family Rosaceae; from Greek pyr, fire, and akantha, thorn
  • •Pyracantha coccinea, the scarlet firethorn, is native to Europe and south-west Asia and hardy throughout the UK (RHS)
  • •Grows 2.5 to 4 m tall; dense clusters of small white flowers in late spring on the previous year's growth (RHS)
  • •Bright orange-red berries in autumn; RHS says the fruit is ornamental and not to be eaten and advises protective equipment when handling (RHS)
  • •Long, very sharp thorns give it its name; it makes an excellent evergreen hedge (RHS)
  • •Recognised as a plant for pollinators (RHS)
  • •A neophyte: widely planted in Britain and occasionally bird-sown outside gardens
  • •Related to hawthorn (Crataegus), cotoneaster and apple in the rose family

Drill it — 6 cards

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Sources