Pyracantha Care Must-Knows
Pyracantha grows best in full sun to part shade and well-drained soil. It is a rampant grower, sometimes producing as much as 2 feet of new growth a year. Choose a planting location carefully to avoid the frustration of a plant that grows exceptionally large and overwhelms the space. Avoid planting pyracantha in highly fertile soil, which promotes rampant growth that makes the plant more susceptible to fire blight (a deadly bacterial disease that decreases berry production). Fall is the best time to plant pyracantha because the cool air and soil temperatures encourage the shrub to produce a strong root system. If berry color is important, buy plants when they have fruit. Sometimes plant tags don’t accurately represent fruit color. Prune this shrub anytime; it may be easiest to prune when the stems are semi-leafless in winter or early spring. Pyracantha only produces flowers and fruit on stems that are at least one year old, so leave some of the old growth standing each year. Pyracantha is susceptible to two serious problems. Fire blight is a bacterial disease that plagues new and established plants; it kills individual branches first, followed quickly by the entire plant. Scab causes plants to drop their leaves and turns fruit a dark, sooty color. Choosing disease-resistant varieties is the best line of defense against these problems.
More Varieties of Pyracantha
Firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea is a dense shrub to 12 feet tall and wide that produces white flowers in summer and reddish-orange berries in fall. Zones 6-9
‘Lalandei’ Pyracantha
This variety of Pyrancantha coccinea is a large variety that grows 20 feet tall with a prolific crop of orange-red berries. Zones 6-9
‘Mohave’ Pyracantha
Pyracantha x ‘Mohave’ has shiny dark green foliage and huge masses of bright red-orange berries. It grows 8 to 12 feet tall and wide. Zones 6–9
