Shrub · Rosaceae
Scarlet Firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea
Forgiving, fast, and a little prickly, firethorn rewards you with soft white spring flowers and bright orange-red winter berries.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–9
6–18 ft · 1.8–5.5 m
Overview
Firethorn lives up to its name in two happy ways, with sprays of glowing orange-red berries through winter and stiff, needle-sharp thorns running along each branch. It is a fast-growing evergreen shrub in the rose family, and it is tough enough to take heat, drought, and cold in stride once it has settled in. If you are new to shrubs, you will find it a forgiving friend that works beautifully as a hedge, a barrier, or an espalier trained flat against a wall.
The display unfolds over two gentle seasons. Small white flowers blanket the plant in late spring, and by fall those blooms have ripened into generous bunches of berries that cling on all winter long. Birds clear the fruit through the cold months, which turns firethorn into a welcome haven for winter wildlife and a steady spark of color when little else is fruiting.
All that hardiness does come with one small caution, and it is nothing to fear. The long spur thorns are sharp, so a firethorn set right beside a path or doorway will catch at anyone passing by. Give it a little room, plant it where the thorns guard rather than bother you, and slip on thick gloves whenever you tend it.
Care
The short version: give it full sun for the best flowers and berries, soil that drains well, and a good deep soak only while it settles in, after which it looks after itself in dry spells. Trim it in late winter, and please keep your gloves handy.
Light
Firethorn flowers and fruits at its happiest in full sun, and that is exactly where you will be rewarded with the fullest crop of berries. It will get by in partial shade and partial sun too, so do not panic over a less-than-perfect spot, but the deeper the shade, the fewer blooms and berries you can expect.
Water
While your plant is finding its feet, and through any long, dry heat, water it deeply, then ease off and let the soil dry between drinks. Once the roots have gone down, firethorn becomes genuinely drought tolerant and seldom needs your help, asking for water only every 7 to 14 days at the very most.
Soil
It happily adapts to clay, loam, or sand as long as the drainage is sharp, since soggy roots are the one thing it truly will not forgive. A comfortable pH range from 6.0 to 8.0 suits it just fine, and that span covers nearly every garden soil you are likely to have.
Temperature
Firethorn is both cold-hardy and heat-tough, taking anything from about -9°F to 100°F (-23°C to 38°C) without complaint. That generous range is what makes it such a dependable choice across zones 6 through 9, so you can plant it with confidence.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is nothing to worry about here. What helps far more is good airflow, since crowded, still air is the very thing that lets fire blight and scab settle in, so give your shrub room to breathe.
Feeding
A balanced slow-release shrub fertilizer in early spring is all your firethorn really wants, and in decent soil even that is optional. Keep the nitrogen on the low side, because soft, lush growth is just what fire blight likes to attack.
Pruning
Trim in late winter to early spring, and go gently in late summer or fall, since the flowers and berries form on last year's wood and you would be cutting them away. It takes kindly to shearing as a hedge or training as an espalier, and you only need to remember your gloves each time because of those thorns.
Repotting
Firethorn rarely needs repotting and is most content left right where it is. In a container, simply watch for roots circling the pot or slipping out the drainage holes, water running straight through, or stalled new growth, and move it up a size whenever those signs appear.
Size & spacing
This is a big, generous shrub, reaching 6 to 18 feet (1.8 to 5.5 m) tall and spreading 8 to 18 feet (2.4 to 5.5 m) wide. Give it plenty of room to fill out, or simply plan on keeping it tidy with a regular trim, whichever suits your garden best.
When to plant
Firethorn is an easygoing shrub for zones 6 through 9, and you can set it out in spring or fall while the weather stays mild and kind to young roots. The white flowers arrive in late spring, then the orange-red berries take over in fall and linger through winter for the birds. There is no need to rush the timing.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: Spring or fall
- Harvest: White flowers late spring to early summer; showy orange-red berries fall through winter
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 6–9
Temperature: down to -23°C
Troubleshooting
Most firethorn troubles come from a fungus, a bacterium, or a small insect, and they tend to show up on fresh growth, the berries, or the backs of the leaves. The good news is that catching something early makes all the difference, since a problem like fire blight can travel quickly. Find your symptom below, take a calm look, and step in while your help still counts.
Shoots turn black, wilt, and hook over at the tip
What you are seeing is fire blight, a bacterial infection that firethorn catches easily, and it can race down a branch before you know it. Do not lose heart: cut the infected wood out at least 12 inches below the damage on a dry day, and wipe your blades with alcohol between every cut so nothing rides along to the next branch. Ease back on nitrogen and overhead water, and when you replant, choose a resistant cultivar like Mohave or Teton.
Fix:
- Prune out infected wood at least 12 inches below visible damage during dry weather
- Disinfect pruning tools between every cut with 70 percent alcohol or diluted bleach
- Remove and destroy prunings; do not compost
- Choose resistant cultivars such as Mohave, Apache, Teton, or Navaho when replanting
Dark, scabby spots spoiling the leaves and berries
This is Pyracantha scab, a fungus that leaves velvety dark patches and turns the fruit a cracked olive-brown instead of the bright orange-red you hoped for. The fix is simple and kind to the plant: rake up the fallen leaves and berries so the spores have nowhere to wait out winter, then thin any crowded growth to let air move through. Scab-resistant cultivars such as Mohave or Fiery Cascade let you sidestep the whole worry from the start.
Fix:
- Rake up and remove fallen leaves and fruit to reduce fungal inoculum
- Improve air circulation by thinning crowded growth
- Plant scab-resistant cultivars such as Mohave, Apache, or Fiery Cascade
Bleached, speckled leaves with dark flecks underneath
That faded, stippled look is the work of the hawthorn lace bug, which feeds on the underside of the leaves and leaves little dark varnish-like droppings behind. Turn a leaf over and you will spot the bugs and their cast skins, which makes them easy to confirm. Mist the undersides with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil and repeat as needed, and a firm jet of water will knock back a light visit on its own.
Fix:
- Spray leaf undersides with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeating as needed
- Encourage natural predators
- Hose off light infestations with a strong water spray
Toxicity
You can breathe easy on the poison front, because firethorn is low in toxicity and its berries never appear on the ASPCA lists. Birds feast on the fruit happily, and at worst a curious pet or child who samples a few berries might get a mild tummy upset. The one thing to mind is the needle-sharp thorns, which can give a painful prick, so handle the plant gently and keep it well clear of paths and play areas.
Toxic to
People
Safe for
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds
People Caution
The flesh of the berries is essentially harmless, with only trace cyanide-like compounds tucked inside the seeds, so a few cause no real trouble. The true hazard is the thorns. Their long, needle-sharp spurs deliver painful puncture wounds, so wear thick gloves to prune and keep children clear of the branches.
Cats Mild
The berries are low risk, so a quick nibble usually passes without any fuss. A cat that swallows a big mouthful might drool a little or have a brief bout of vomiting before settling right down. The thorns are the sharper worry, since a curious paw or face can easily get pricked.
Dogs Mild
Most dogs can swallow a few berries with no trouble at all. Let one polish off a real pile and you might see some loose stool or a single round of vomiting that clears on its own. Keep more of an eye out for puncture scratches from the thorns when a dog pushes through the shrub.
Horses Mild
Firethorn is not a known poisoning risk for horses, and the berries carry only trace cyanide-like compounds. A horse that strips a hedge of fruit might get a mild, passing stomach upset and nothing more. The stiff thorns are far more likely to scratch the muzzle than the berries are to do any harm.
Rabbits Mild
A rabbit will not be poisoned by the odd berry, though the fruit is not part of a healthy diet and large amounts can loosen the gut. Offer browse better suited to a rabbit and let the firethorn be. The thorns can hurt a small animal that pushes in around the base of the shrub.
Livestock Mild
Cattle, goats, and sheep graze near firethorn without serious poisoning, and the berries rank low in toxicity. Heavy browsing of the fruit might bring a touch of digestive upset, nothing more than that. Just keep in mind that the spur thorns can scratch grazing stock that lean into the hedge.
Birds None
Birds enjoy the orange-red berries freely all through fall and winter, and the fruit is one of the plant's real gifts to wildlife. There is genuinely no concern here at all. The shrub even offers nesting birds a thorny, well-guarded shelter to call home.
Wear thick gloves and eye protection when pruning or handling; the stiff, needle-like thorns inflict painful puncture wounds and localized swelling. Site away from walkways and play areas. Berries are low risk but discourage children and pets from eating large amounts.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
There are quite a few named firethorns to choose from, sorted mostly by berry color, by size, and by how bravely they shrug off disease. Here are the friendly few you are most likely to meet.
Mohave
A much-loved choice for its strong resistance to both scab and fire blight, and it sets a generous crop of orange-red berries you can count on.
Apache
A neat, compact, disease-resistant pick that brightens up with cheerful red berries.
Lowboy
Stays low and spreads out wide, which makes it a friendly groundcover or a gentle cover for a slope.
Lalandei
A vigorous old cold-hardy favorite with orange-red berries that settles happily into being espaliered against a wall.
Teton
Grows tall and slim with warm yellow-orange berries and reassuring resistance to fire blight.
How to propagate
You have two easy ways to make more firethorn, from a cutting or from seed, but only one of them hands you a faithful copy of the plant you already love.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Summer, taking semi-hardwood cuttings of current-season growth · Several weeks to root, then grow on for transplanting the following season
The dependable way to copy a named cultivar is by cutting, and it is well within your reach. Take semi-hardwood cuttings of this year's growth in summer and dip them in rooting hormone to give your odds a lift. They root over several weeks, after which you grow them on and set them out the following season.
SeedModerate
Fall to spring; seed is naturally bird-dispersed · Slow and variable; seedlings of named cultivars will not come true to type
Seed works too, though it asks for a little patience. The seed needs a cold spell to wake from dormancy, and germination comes slow and uneven from fall into spring. Birds scatter it far and wide after a berry feast, but seedlings of a named cultivar will not match their parent, so cuttings are the kinder route when you want a specific plant.
Myths
Firethorn berries are deadly poisonous and will seriously harm any child or pet that eats them.
Take heart, because firethorn is not on the ASPCA toxic-plant lists and its berries rate low in toxicity. Birds happily gorge on them all winter, the flesh is essentially harmless, and only trace cyanide-like compounds rest in the seeds. A few berries are perfectly safe, and a big helping at most brings a mild stomach upset. The real thing to watch is the thorns, not the fruit.