Description of the pyracantha plant, recommendations for planting and care in open ground, advice on propagation, methods of pest and disease control, curious notes, species and varieties.
Pyracantha is included in the genus of evergreen flora members of the Rosaceae family. All known varieties of this genus are distributed in the southeastern regions of Asia, and one of the species, Pyracantha coccinea, is found in the European south. The plant as an ornamental plant found wide expansion on the Crimean coast of the Black Sea. The genus in itself today has almost six species.
| Family name | Pink |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Vegetation form | Shrub |
| Breeding method | Vegetative (cuttings) or seed |
| Landing period in open ground | Spring as soon as the soil thaws |
| Landing rules | Distance between seedlings 60-90 cm |
| Priming | Any garden, loose |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5-7 (neutral) |
| Lighting degree | Open, sunny place or light partial shade |
| Humidity parameters | Very rare, only for young seedlings |
| Special care rules | Does not tolerate waterlogged and waterlogged soil |
| Height values | Up to 6 meters |
| Inflorescence shape or type of flowers | Shield inflorescences |
| Flower color | White, pinkish yellow, white pink |
| Flowering time | End of spring |
| Fruit color and shape | Bright orange, red or yellow, small apples |
| Fruiting period | From the beginning of September, the fruits are stored until the end of winter. |
| Decorative period | Year-round |
| Application in landscape design | Hedges, forming low evergreen curbs, as tapeworm and backdrop for mixborders |
| USDA zone | 5–8 |
The genus got its name due to the fusion of words in Greek "pyr" and "akanthos", which means "fire" and "thorn", respectively. Therefore, the plant is often called a thorny bush, fire thorn or thorn. Again, the name "fiery thorn" comes from the famous novel bearing the same name and describing such an extraordinary representative of the flora.
All types of pyracantha are perennials with shrub growth. Their crown is formed by erect or spreading shoots, which can reach a height of about 6 m, but generally they vary within 1–5 m. Some external outlines are similar to varieties of cotoneaster (Cotoneaster), but the main difference is that at the fiery thorn, the branches are covered with not particularly dense thorns-thorns. The length of the spines is about 2.5 cm. Evergreen leaves are also distinguished by the presence of serration. The color of the foliage is a rich dark green color scheme. The shape of the leaf plate is narrowed or broadly oval. The length of the leaf reaches 5 cm. The foliage does not fall off and adorns the branches all year round, sometimes becoming brown in winter.
When the pyracantha blooms, the bush becomes decorated with corymbose inflorescences, composed of snow-white, pinkish-yellow or whitish-pink numerous flowers. During flowering, all leaves are practically hidden under a whitish mass of petals and stamens. The size of the flowers is small, but when flowering, a fragrant aroma spreads around. The flower is composed of five petals rounded at the top. In the central part, fluffy yellow stamens are formed. Flowering occurs in late spring.
It is clear that a special decorative effect of the pyracante is given by its fruits, which abundantly begin to take the place of inflorescences. Their ripening begins with the arrival of September. Although the fruits are very similar to berries, they are actually small apples (that is, they contain seeds inside), which is why plants of this genus were previously included in the Apple subfamily (Maloideae). The color of their rich red, yellow or bright orange color scheme. There are so many fruits that deciduous mass is practically hidden behind them. Since these plants are polygamous, the fruits can ripen on a single specimen.
Although berries are not eaten because of their bitter taste, they do not contain poisonous substances. As soon as autumn comes, the whole bush seems to bloom in bright colors, as the green mini-apples at first become fiery shades. Moreover, this color does not disappear until the end of the winter period, just like rowan berries, attracting a large number of birds to feast on the fruits of pyracantha.
Despite its southern origin, the plant has successfully adapted to our climatic conditions, and with simple care it can become a real decoration, both in the garden and in the premises or in the backyard. Among all the varieties in our climate, it is possible to grow only a couple: bright red pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea) and narrow-leaved pyracantha (Pyracantha augustifolia).
Recommendations for planting pyracantha and care in open ground
- Landing place the fiery thorn is picked up well-lit, but protected from gusts of cold wind. Both a southern location and a semi-shady place are suitable. However, direct sunlight at noon hours can contribute to the early yellowing of the deciduous mass. It is best to place the plant next to a wall of a house or a solid fence made of stone or brick. The main thing is that there is no groundwater nearby. The lowlands will also not like the bush, as there is the possibility of the accumulation of cold and damp air. Since Pyracantha negatively tolerates transplants, the place of its location should be thought with great care.
- Soil for pyracantha it will not be difficult to choose, since these representatives of the flora show excellent growth even on a very poor substrate (rocky soil) or a sandy arid slope.
- Landing pyracantha carried out in the spring, when the soil has just been freed from the snow cover and thawed. The planting hole in the chosen place is prepared so that its size is twice the earthen lump surrounding the root system of the seedling. It is important to arrange the fire thorn bushes, taking into account the future landscape design. When planting in a hedge, at least 60–90 cm should be left between them. It is recommended to loosen the bottom of the pit and then lay a drainage layer there, which can be coarse-grained river sand or fine expanded clay, gravel or pebbles. After that, a small mound of the substrate is poured onto the drainage, which is pre-mixed with humus or compost. In order to carefully remove the seedling from the planting container, water it a little, and then tap on the walls and pull the plant out of the pot. The pyracantha is placed in a hole on an earthen mound and the root system is carefully straightened. Then the hole is filled to the top with soil mixture, which is then squeezed a little. A groove for irrigation is formed in the near-stem circle. The soil is moistened and mulched with dry peat chips. After planting, next to the seedling, you can install a peg as a support (some dig in a trellis along which the shoots will rise in the future).
- Watering when caring for pyracantha is not a problem, since the bushes are characterized by resistance to drought. Only young immature plants need regular moistening of the substrate.
- Fertilizers when growing, pyracantha is also not too needed, but if you feed it between April and October, when the main growing season lasts, the plant will respond with lush flowering and fruiting. It is recommended to apply complete mineral complexes twice a month, such as, for example, Kemira-Universal. If you want to help the fire thorn to develop, bloom and form colorful fruits, then in April, nitrogen-containing preparations are used twice, which will stimulate the growth of foliage. In the middle of summer, potassium-phosphorus agents are twice recommended as top dressing. If the plant is grown in a tub, then it would be good to support it with full complex fertilizers every 14 days from late spring to early autumn.
- Pruning when caring for a pyracantha, it is simply a necessary operation, since the plant has an increased growth rate. If this is not done, then the attractiveness of the bush in just one growing season will greatly decrease. We can say that the fire thorn is even characterized by aggressiveness in growth, so every year you will have to remove unnecessarily elongated branches and those that grow inside the crown, thickening it. Since the shoots of the fire thorn are covered with long thorns, it is recommended that any work, and even more pruning, be carried out with thick gloves. But today there are varieties whose branches are practically devoid of thorns. The best time for pruning is spring, before the juices have begun to move. Before this, you should remove all the fruits remaining after wintering. Before flowering begins, no more than 1/3 of the horizontal branches growing on the sides of the bush are cut off. Pruning the rest is performed when the flowering is completely completed. In August, it is necessary to prune the branches for sanitary purposes in order to shorten the shoots that have grown over the season too long. If the bush has a suitable shape, then only those branches are cut that have escaped, lengthening from the crown, or began to have the wrong orientation. Removing any overgrowing branches will help contain the growth of the bush crown. With the arrival of autumn, the shortening of the shoots of the new growth should be carried out. If the pyracantha bush is too old and overgrown, then it is possible to form its crown by carrying out a cardinal pruning, when only 30 cm from the soil surface is left from the branches.
- Wintering a fire thorn will normally take place in climatic zones with mild winters, since the plant is thermophilic. There are currently bred varieties that are characterized by frost resistance and can tolerate a decrease in the thermometer column to -20 frost. But even if in the winter the frosts are too severe and the bush suffers from them, then with the arrival of spring and during the summer months, the pyracantha can easily recover. Only for this it will be necessary to remove all frozen shoots. Some gardeners practice covering fire thorn bushes with non-woven material (for example, spunbond). There are varieties that are recommended for potting. This will help keep the plant from freezing during the winter. This rule applies, for example, to such species as the bright red pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea). However, for normal cultivation, the plant should be placed in cool conditions for the winter, where the heat readings will be at zero. And also once every 3-4 years, you will have to carry out a transplant, while trying not to destroy the earthen lump, by the so-called transshipment method.
- The use of pyracantha in landscape design. Since the plants are the owners of shoots covered with thorns, hedges can be formed from them. But this is not the only thing that attracts gardeners. A fire thorn looks great during both flowering and ripening periods, which will adorn the branches even in the winter months. You can decorate the site with such a bush, growing it as a tapeworm. If the variety is stunted, then it is used to create green borders. Some plant such bushes in the background of mixborders so that they provide a highly decorative backdrop with flowering and fruit. If the plant is planted in a tub, then it is placed in cool rooms, such as terraces, in lounges. Some grow fire thorns as bonsai. Do not place fire thorn bushes too close to garden paths, especially if there are small children or pets in the house, as sharp and long thorns can cause irreparable harm.
Read also about agricultural techniques when growing mimosa in a personal plot.
Tips for breeding pyracantha by seed and cuttings
To get new bushes of a fire thorn on the site, it is recommended to sow the collected seeds or engage in cuttings.
Propagation of pyracantha using seeds
It is important to remember when breeding this kind that the grown seedlings can lose the characteristics of the parent plant. In the autumn, the collected or purchased seed material is distributed to the prepared beds. The depth of the backlog should not exceed 2-3 cm. If sowing is carried out in the spring, then it is recommended to carry out pre-planting preparation before that, which includes stratification for 3 months. The seeds are placed in the lower drawer of the refrigerator (where the temperature is approximately 0–5 degrees Celsius) somewhere in the middle of winter.
In the grooves, after distribution, the seeds are covered with the same soil and thoroughly moistened. It is important to remember that the seedlings that appear will be different in development, but when diving, they should be left more or less equal in height, and also taking into account the outlines and colors of the leaves.
Propagation of pyracantha by cuttings
This method makes it possible to get seedlings faster. You can use both green and semi-lignified cuttings. Blanks are cut in the spring from the tops of the shoots. The remnants of branches from pruning are also suitable.
Important
It is the green cuttings of the pyracantha that show great speed and the likelihood of rooting.
The length of the cuttings is kept approximately 8–10 cm. Before planting in pots, the lower sections are treated with a rooting stimulator (for example, heteroauxinic acid), and excess leaves are removed, leaving only the upper pair. The soil is taken for rooting, loose and nutritious, you can mix river sand with peat in equal proportions.
After planting, it is necessary to create a greenhouse effect. To do this, a glass jar or a plastic bottle is installed on top of the cuttings, from which the bottom is cut off. The place in which the container with cuttings is placed should be warm and well-lit, but with the obligatory shading from the direct rays of the sun. Until the cuttings take root, daily airing should be carried out in order to remove condensation, and if the soil begins to dry out, then it is moistened. After a 3-week period, the formation of root shoots will occur in the cuttings with proper care. An increase in pyracantha seedlings can be seen after a couple of months, and already with the arrival of next spring, it is recommended to plan a planting in open ground.
If there is a desire to form a hedge, then two-year seedlings are selected for it, which are planted no closer than 0.5 m from each other. And only when three years have passed from the moment of rooting and transplanting, the bushes will acquire spectacular decorative outlines.
Pest and disease control methods when caring for pyracantha
Despite the resistance of the "fiery thorn" to many viruses and fungi, if the growing conditions or agricultural practices are violated, the following diseases may appear:
Scab,
which is provoked by the marsupial fungus. Usually, this disease persecutes plants cultivated in a temperate climatic zone, when the spring is cold and wet, as well as during rainy and cold summers. At the same time, on the foliage, you can see spots of black color with a bloom reminiscent of velvet. The spread of the infection is quite fast and when signs can be noticed, the fungus has already managed to greatly harm the plant. For prevention, it is recommended to select an open and sunny place, regularly trim the crown.
In the early stages of the disease, it is recommended to use zircon or agate, but it is best to treat with Bordeaux mixture. But for the entire growing season (from April to October) 6-7 treatments are carried out. Copper sulfate is also often used when the buds are just beginning to bloom. Systemic fungicides such as Skor or Strobi can be used, strictly following the manufacturer's instructions.
Bacterial burn
which is an infectious disease that is especially harmful and capable of quickly destroying the landing of pyracantha. At the same time, there is the possibility of spreading the infection to other pome or stone fruit representatives of the garden. The disease is called "burn" due to the fact that the symptoms resemble the rapid drying of foliage and shoots:
- necrotic areas of a reddish hue are formed on the leaves;
- branches at the tops begin to dry out from top to bottom;
- the surface of the bark of the shoots becomes damp and sticky to the touch;
- flowers and buds turn brown and die off, but remain on the branches.
For treatment, you should also first remove all the shoots affected by the disease, and then treat with ampicillin solution, pour the phytolavin plentifully on the near-stem circle, and then periodically perform the treatment with Skor. From folk remedies for combating bacterial burns, a solution based on yeast, boric or succinic acid, ash and sapropel is recommended. For prevention, it is recommended to apply potassium-phosphorus fertilizers, which increase the resistance of the pyracantha to infection.
Late blight
is the most common problem in garden plants, and a diseased specimen can infect its healthy neighbors. Usually, when in the middle of summer the weather begins to deteriorate and there are prolonged rains, and the temperature is in the range of 20-24 degrees, this serves as favorable conditions for the spread of the fungus Phytophthora. The true symptoms of the disease are speck on the leaves of a brown-grayish tint, often surrounded by a ring of whitish mold, or such spots are covered with a white coating that looks like a spider web. The damaged parts begin to gradually die off, which can lead to the loss of the entire "fire thorn" bush. It is recommended to clean the wounds on the shoots, and then generously coat such places with garden varnish or disinfect them with 1% copper sulfate. However, if the damage is too strong, it is better to remove and burn the plant, since the treatment will not bring a positive result.
Of the pests that harm the pyracantha, only aphids can be distinguished. Green color bugs, rapidly multiplying, suck out nutrients and yellow leaves fall off. Also, aphids can contribute to the transfer of viral diseases that do not respond to any treatment and can destroy almost the entire garden. Therefore, if a sticky sugary bloom and green small insects are visible on the foliage, you should immediately treat with insecticidal preparations, like Karbofos or Aktara.
Curious notes about pyracantha
Plants of a fire thorn are suitable for growing as an ornamental crop in regions with a warm climate, because if the thermometer falls below -20 degrees of frost, the bushes will die. The plant is distinguished by the properties of an excellent honey plant. It can also be used as an indoor crop suitable for growing in the bonsai style. However, here it will be necessary to provide a cold wintering when the heat indicators will be around 0 degrees.
The plant got its name "fire thorn" thanks to the bestseller of the American Sarah Micklem. The writer created her work in the fantasy style. In the novel, the main character is called Firethorn and she has experienced many adventures, one of which is her stay in the mountains. At the same time, Firethorn was deprived of food and could only eat the fruits of the pyracantha. According to the plot, the berries of the plant are poisonous, but instead of death in the main character, a special gift and revelation awakens. The book gained particular popularity in the United States of America and in Great Britain, so that it was reprinted five times. It is noted that the name Firethorn will be obtained if we translate into English the term meaning the name of the plant in Latin - pyracantha.
Description of species and varieties of pyracantha
Pyracantha is bright red (Pyracantha coccinea)
The native area of growth falls on the territory of the southern European and eastern European regions, as well as the Crimea. Its height parameters are more modest, only two meters, but the crown is characterized by greater spreading and splendor. This is important to consider when landscaping a garden. The color of ripening fruits is bright orange. The foliage is usually dark green in color, with the arrival of autumn, attracts the eye with the appearance of red shades. It is recommended to form hedges with such shrubs, since they do not need abundant watering, and they also perfectly tolerate shaping by deep pruning of shoots.
Most popular among the following varieties:
- Pyracantha coccinea Kasan represented by a shrub, the crown of which is formed by strong and powerful shoots. Height is 2.5 m. The surface of the leaf plates is glossy and shiny, the color is dark green. From the flowers, corymbose inflorescences are collected, which are usually located along the branches. Flowering occurs in May. Ripening the fruits, they take on an orange-red hue. The shape of the fruits is rounded, they remain intact on the bush for a long time. Possesses resistance to low heat indices.
- Pyracantha coccinea var. Kuntayi also a shrub, but the height of its stems rarely exceeds one meter. The foliage has a leathery shiny surface, painted in a dark green tone. Snow-white flowers make up corymbose inflorescences and bloom in late spring. The fruits are spherical in shape, their color is bright red. They begin to ripen by the end of August and remain on the branches until the end of winter.
- Pyracantha coccinea red column - a shrub characterized by a semi-evergreen deciduous mass. The height of the shoots reaches 2 meters. The branches are elastic, upright. The leaf plates are shiny, painted in a dark green color scheme. If the winter is especially harsh, then the foliage tends to fly around. The inflorescences, formed by whitish flowers, have an umbrella shape. Globular fruits take on a bright red hue. For the winter, it is recommended to provide shelter to the bush with a non-woven fabric. Can be planted close to the walls of rooms or fences. Trellis can be used to support the branches as they grow.
Narrow-leaved pyracantha (Pyracantha augustifolia)
resembles Chinese territory (western regions). It has proven itself well when cultivated in a temperate climatic zone. The height of the bush only in rare cases can exceed 4 meters. When blooming, many small whitish flowers are revealed. When the fruits ripen, they turn yellow, bright orange or red. When grown in the southern regions of Russia, it can easily endure wintering.
Best known for the following varieties:
- Pyracantha angustifolia orange glow - a shrub characterized by upright, but sparse shoots. Its height is 2.5 m. The leaf plates are green and if the winter is mild, they may not fly around. Small whitish flowers bloom in May. The berries have rounded outlines and a bright orange hue. It is recommended to plant near fences and walls of houses or outbuildings. It is imperative to cover for the winter.
- Pyracantha angustifolia golden charmer - this shrub is characterized by a high growth rate. Shoots have elongated arcuate outlines. With the arrival of May, a spectacular flowering of numerous whitish inflorescences begins. In September, a large number of fruits ripen abundantly. The color of the rounded berries is yellowish-orange. The plant is highly resistant to polluted city air and arid conditions. But in especially harsh winters, branches may freeze, but the shrub quickly regains its former contours. It is recommended to provide shelter to avoid freezing.
Scarlet pyracantha (Pyracantha cotoneaster)
a rather rare variety that can also be grown in gardens. Prefers an open, sunny and hot place, it can bloom and bear fruit beautifully on poor soil, even on rocky soil. The indicators of winter hardiness are rather weak, which affects the limitation of use.
Pyracantha crenulata
also does not have high winter hardiness, but it is a rather spectacular plant during both flowering and fruiting. Recommended for indoor growing.
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Video about growing pyracantha:
