Bright-red pyracantha

Synonym: firethorn, Cotoneaster pyracantha (L.) Spach, Mespilus pyracantha L., Pyracantha pauciflora (Poir.) M. Roem., Crataegus hyracantha Steven, Crataegus pauciflora (Poir.) Pers., Crataegus pauciflora Andr, Crataegus pyracantha (L.) Medik., Crataegus pyracantha (L.) Pers., Gymnopyrenium pyracantha (L.) Dulac, Mespilus pauciflora Poir., Pyracantha coccinea var. pauciflora (Poir.) Dippel, Pyracantha lucida de Vos, Pyracantha pauciflora (Poir.) M.Roem., Pyracantha pyracantha (L.) Voss, Pyracantha pyracantha (L.) Asch. & Graebn., Pyracantha spinosa de Vos, Pyracantha vulgaris Lothelier, Timbalia pyracantha (L.) Clos.

Pyracantha bright-red (Pyracantha angustifolia C.K.Schneid.) – a species of evergreen plants in the Rosaceae family. The species was first described by the German botanist Max Joseph Roemer in 1847 in the book "Familiarum Naturalium Regni Vegetabilis Synopses Monographicae" ("Fam. Nat. Syn. Monogr."). The species was introduced to Central Europe in the 17th century and to North America in the 18th century.

Photo by E. Tikhonova

In nature it occurs in Southern Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus. It is found on dry rocky slopes, forest edges, glades, in shrub thickets, and also under the canopy of open forests. It ascends mountains up to 1500 m above sea level.

It is an evergreen, densely branched shrub 2-3 (5) m high and 1-6 m wide. The crown is spreading or broadly spreading, lower branches often prostrate on the ground. Shoots are reddish-brown, rarely covered with sharp spines up to 2.5 cm. Young shoots are pubescent, gray-brown.

Leaves alternate, oblong-elliptic or lanceolate, 2-4 cm long and 0.7-1.5 cm wide. Leaf blade base cuneate, margins finely serrate, apices acute, less often obtuse; upper surface pubescent when unfolding, later glabrous, lower surface glabrous. Petiole 2-5 mm long, pubescent. Stipules 4-8 mm long. In autumn the leaves acquire burgundy hues.

Photo by R. Tsandekidis

Inflorescences 3-4 cm in diameter, dense, slightly pubescent. Bracts in the distal axils, 4-10 mm long and 3-4 mm wide. Pedicels 3-10 mm long, covered with coarse hairs. Flowers 6-8 mm in diameter, white and pinkish-yellow. Hypanthium funnel-shaped, pubescent. Sepals triangular with an acute tip, 1.5-2 mm long. Petals almost free, 3-5 mm long, apex rounded. Anthers red. Flowers in March-May.

Fruits – apple-shaped berries 5-7 mm in diameter, yellow or bright-red in color, 5-8 cm in diameter. Fruiting occurs from August to January.

Varieties:

• Pyracantha crenulata var. crenulata,
• Pyracantha crenulata var. kansuensis Rehder,
• Pyracantha coccinea var. lalandei hort. ex Dippel

Cultivars: 'Red Column' ('Red Firethorn'), 'Red cushion', 'Orange Glow', 'Kasan', 'Rutgers'.

Hardiness zone: zone 5-8 (-25°C).

Location: a light-loving plant, but grows well in light partial shade. Does well on sun-warmed sites sheltered from cold drying winds. Preferably grown near a south-facing wall. Tolerates air pollution well.

Propagation: propagated by seeds, root suckers, layering, cuttings. Cultivars are propagated by grafting and cuttings. Pyracantha is used as rootstock., Soil: a drought-tolerant plant, can grow on dry and moderately moist soils. Poorly tolerant of waterlogged and flooded sites. On heavy soils it requires drainage of broken brick or rubble with sand, layer 10-20 cm. Not demanding to soil fertility, can grow on ordinary garden soils. Prefers loose, deep, sufficiently fertile and slightly alkaline loams. Can grow on calcareous soil.

Planting: planting is preferably done in early spring. For this, dig a hole twice the size of the root ball. Mix the excavated soil with a bucket of compost and plant the shrub.

Care: does not require fertilization. Young plants need winter protection with conifer branches or a layer of dry leaves.

Pruning: tolerates cutting well, which is carried out in mid-summer after flowering. Regrows quickly after radical rejuvenation pruning (to 20 cm from the ground). Crown shaping is necessary for shrubs that climb walls. Freely growing shrubs do not require regular pruning. The stronger the pruning, the fewer berries set. When grown as a houseplant it requires heavy pruning.

Temperature: when grown as a houseplant it requires a cold wintering period at -2 to +7 °C.

Transplanting: in indoor culture it is transplanted very rarely, no more often than once every 3-4 years. Careless transplanting may provoke a halt in growth.

Diseases: bacterial blight, phytophthora (late blight), pasha of pyracantha (Spilocaea pyracanthae).

Pests: aphids, caterpillars, chafer beetles.

Conservation status: the species is included in the Red Book of the Azerbaijan Republic, the Republic of Adygea and the Republic of Dagestan.

Uses: used for plantings in parks and forest parks, in solitary plantings and in groups on lawns, for creating free-growing and clipped hedges, decorating slopes and rock gardens.