Pyracantha is commonly known as Firethorn, and if you’ve ever been pricked by one of its thorns you’d know why! Both plants can be grown as hedges, groundcover or against walls and fences; they look equally good as freestanding shrubs. Pyracantha coccinea is an evergreen Shrub growing to 4 m (13ft) by 4 m (13ft) at a fast rate. Seasonal highlights November There are lots of berry bearing plants to choose from in your local garden centres and nurseries. You're right. Wall Cotoneaster hedge (Cotoneaster horizontalis) description Cotoneaster horizontalis is a resilient plant which will grow anywhere other than very wet soil. If pyracantha and cotoneaster are trimmed in early spring, the autumn berries will hug the cloud's contours, enhancing the effect. Birds love pyracantha; its bright berries serve as a food source and its dense growth serves as a nesting site. BERRIED TREASURE. Jeff, I don’t know about cotoneaster berries but I know pyracantha berries definitely have a kick to them. Common name: Firethorn Pyracantha is a pretty shrub with attractive flowers and magnificent red, yellow or orange berries in autumn and winter.It is often trained against a wall or fence. 2.789.992 m² garden ‘Orange Charmer’ is an evergreen, bushy, arching shrub with white flowers from April and large spherical orange fruits in Autumn. Herb: Firethorn Latin name: Pyracantha coccinea Synonyms: Cotoneaster pyracantha, Crataegus pyracantha, Mespilus pyracantha Family: Rosaceae (Rose Family) Edible parts of Firethorn: Fruit - cooked. The magnificent fiery orange and ruby red berries are set on a backdrop of dark, evergreen, glossy foliage that can brighten up the gloomiest November day or sparkle in the winter sunshine! Pyracantha produces white flowers and glossy, deep green evergreen foliage. In fact, the shorter varieties of cotoneaster are creepers, without upright branches. Pyracantha rogersiana ‘Flava’ Pyracantha ‘Flava’ has arching growth with relatively small leaves. Used for making jellies, marmalade and sauces. They have the added benefit of being covered by beautiful white flowers in the month of May, the only slight downside is that some varieties have what is sometimes described as a pungent smell, make sure you make the most of those knowledgeable experts at your local garden centre and get advice on the right plant for you and your garden. Pyracantha and Cotoneaster are not only bright and beautiful; they are useful too, providing an excellent source of food and shelter for the wildlife in your garden and a significant source of nectar when the bees have slim pickings in the June Gap. Malaceae (New South Wales) Rosaceae (Queensland, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia) Average Size at Maturity: Quickly reaches 8 to 10 ft. tall, 6 to 8 ft. wide, in natural form. can be distinguished by the lack of spines on their stems, and the hawthorns ( Crataegus spp.) Plant them close together and within a couple of years they will be almost completely impenetrable. Don’t get carried away with cotoneaster pruning here. The plants at first glance look similar and in fact are distantly related. Cotoneaster microphyllus or littleleaf cotoneaster, is the smallest, slowest growing of these low cotoneasters. Pyracantha means Firethorn, and there are indeed some hefty spines hidden behind clouds of white flowers in spring, masses of berries in autumn-winter, and neat evergreen foliage all year.. Pyracantha grows almost anywhere, in any position and clips very well. Use it near the perimeter of a landscape as a living screen. 7.379 plants. When I first saw the title of today's post I thought you were both suffering from a rare, tropical decease :) Martine, Delighted to be enlightened. All photos in this blog were made by and are the property of the blog author. A balanced, slow-release fertilizer such as 8-8-8 or 10-10-10 at a rate of 1 tablespoon per foot of height is sufficient for each plant. leesa, I'm not sure; Ken looked them up and we think they are edible, but not particularly good. The caterpillars of the moth make a mine along the central leaf vein. Synonyms: Cotoneaster pyracantha (L.) Spach Common names: scarlet firethorn, firethorn Pyracantha coccinea (Scarlet firethorn) is an evergreen shrub with bright red berries (family Rosaceae).It is commonly found in disturbed sites, along roadsides, and in coastal scrub, prairie, and riparian areas. I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of the delicious recipes you make using these fruits... Never tried them, myself... Leesa. 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