Shrub · Rosaceae
Scarlet Firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea
Tough, fast, and armed with thorns, firethorn pays out clouds of white spring flowers and orange-red winter berries.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 6–9
6–18 ft · 1.8–5.5 m
Overview
Firethorn earns its name twice over, with sprays of fiery orange-red berries in winter and stiff, needle-sharp thorns down every branch. It's a fast-growing evergreen shrub in the rose family, tough enough to shrug off heat, drought, and cold once it has settled in. Gardeners reach for it as a hedge, a barrier, or an espalier trained flat against a wall.
The show runs across two seasons. Clusters of small white flowers cover the plant in late spring, and by fall those blooms have turned into heavy bunches of berries that hang on through winter. Birds strip the fruit over the cold months, which makes firethorn a magnet for winter wildlife and a reliable source of color when little else is fruiting.
All that toughness comes with a catch. The long spur thorns are no joke, and a firethorn placed beside a path or a doorway will snag everyone who passes. Give it room, plant it where the thorns work for you rather than against you, and handle it in thick gloves.
Care
The short version: full sun for the best flowers and berries, sharp-draining soil, and a deep drink only while it establishes, after which it handles drought on its own. Prune in late winter and keep your gloves on.
Light
Firethorn flowers and fruits best in full sun, and that's where you'll get the heaviest crop of berries. It tolerates partial shade and partial sun, but the more shade it sits in, the fewer blooms and berries it sets.
Water
Water deeply while the plant is getting established and through any long, dry heat, then back off and let the soil dry between drinks. Once its roots are down, firethorn is genuinely drought tolerant and rarely needs help, asking for water only every 7 to 14 days at most.
Soil
It adapts to clay, loam, or sand as long as the drainage is sharp, since soggy roots are the one thing it won't forgive. A wide pH range from 6.0 to 8.0 suits it fine, which covers most garden soils.
Temperature
Firethorn is cold-hardy and heat-tough, riding out anything from about -9°F to 100°F (-23°C to 38°C). That range is what makes it dependable across zones 6 through 9.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is no concern. Good airflow matters more than any moisture level, since crowded, still air is what lets fire blight and scab take hold.
Feeding
A balanced slow-release shrub fertilizer in early spring is all it needs, and even that is optional in decent soil. Keep the nitrogen low, because soft, lush growth is exactly what fire blight likes to attack.
Pruning
Prune in late winter to early spring, and skip heavy cuts in late summer or fall, since the flowers and berries form on last year's wood. It takes well to shearing as a hedge or training as an espalier, but wear gloves every time because of the thorns.
Repotting
Firethorn rarely needs repotting and is happiest left in place. In a container, watch for roots circling the pot or pushing out the drainage holes, water running straight through, or stalled new growth, and move it up a size when you see them.
Size & spacing
This is a big shrub, running 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 real room to fill out, or plan to keep it in check with regular pruning.
When to plant
Firethorn is a hardy shrub for zones 6 through 9, set out in spring or fall while the weather is mild. The white flowers open in late spring, and the orange-red berries follow in fall and hold on through winter for the birds.
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 trouble is fungal, bacterial, or insect-driven, and it usually shows on the new growth, the fruit, or the underside of the leaves. Catch it early and act, because a problem like fire blight moves fast. Match what you see below, then step in while it still helps.
Shoots blacken, wilt, and curl into a hooked tip
This is fire blight, a bacterial infection that firethorn catches easily, and it can run down a branch fast. Cut the infected wood out at least 12 inches below the damage in dry weather, and wipe your blades with alcohol between every cut so you don't carry it to the next branch. Go easy on nitrogen and overhead water, and reach for resistant cultivars like Mohave or Teton when you replant.
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
Sooty black scabs on the leaves and berries
This is Pyracantha scab, a fungus that leaves velvety dark blotches and turns the fruit a cracked olive-brown instead of bright orange-red. Rake up the fallen leaves and berries so the spores have nowhere to overwinter, and thin crowded growth to let air move through. Scab-resistant cultivars such as Mohave or Fiery Cascade sidestep the problem 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
Pale, stippled leaves with dark specks underneath
The bleached, speckled look comes from the hawthorn lace bug, which feeds on the underside of the leaves and leaves dark varnish-like droppings behind. Turn a leaf over and you'll find the bugs and their cast skins. Spray the undersides with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, repeat as needed, and a strong jet of water knocks back a light infestation.
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
Firethorn is a low-toxicity plant, and its berries are not on the ASPCA poison lists. Birds eat the fruit freely, and a few berries do nothing worse than a mild stomach upset to a curious pet or child. The real hazard here is mechanical: the long, needle-sharp thorns cause painful puncture wounds, so handle the plant with care and site it well away from 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 locked in the seeds, so a few cause no real trouble. The actual 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, and a nibble usually passes without trouble. A cat that eats a big mouthful might drool or have a brief bout of vomiting before settling. The thorns are the sharper worry, since a curious paw or face can get pricked.
Dogs Mild
Most dogs can swallow a few berries with no ill effect. Eat a real pile of them and you may see some loose stool or a single round of vomiting that clears on its own. Watch instead for puncture scratches from the thorns when a dog pushes through the shrub.
Horses Mild
Firethorn isn't 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. The stiff thorns are more likely to scratch the muzzle than the berries are to do harm.
Rabbits Mild
A rabbit isn't poisoned by the odd berry, though the fruit isn't part of a healthy diet and large amounts can loosen the gut. Offer browse better suited to a rabbit and leave the firethorn alone. The thorns can injure a small animal pushing into the base of the shrub.
Livestock Mild
Cattle, goats, and sheep graze around 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. Keep in mind that the spur thorns can scratch grazing stock that lean into the hedge.
Birds None
Birds eat the orange-red berries freely all through fall and winter, and the fruit is one of the plant's main draws for wildlife. There's no concern here at all. The shrub even gives nesting birds a thorny, well-guarded shelter.
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
Plenty of named firethorns exist, mostly sorted out by berry color, size, and how well they fend off disease. These are the ones you'll run into most.
Mohave
A favorite for its strong resistance to both scab and fire blight, and it sets a heavy crop of orange-red berries.
Apache
A compact, disease-resistant pick that lights up with bright red berries.
Lowboy
Stays low and spreads wide, which makes it handy as a groundcover or a cover for a bank.
Lalandei
A vigorous old cold-hardy cultivar with orange-red berries that takes well to being espaliered against a wall.
Teton
Grows upright and narrow with yellow-orange berries and good resistance to fire blight.
How to propagate
You can grow firethorn from a cutting or from seed, but only one of them gives you a true copy of the plant you started with.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Summer, taking semi-hardwood cuttings of current-season growth · Several weeks to root, then grow on for transplanting the following season
The reliable way to copy a named cultivar is by cutting. Take semi-hardwood cuttings of this year's growth in summer and dip them in rooting hormone to lift your odds. They root over several weeks, then you grow them on and set them out the next 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 but tests your patience. The seed needs a cold spell to break dormancy, and germination is slow and uneven from fall into spring. Birds scatter it far and wide after eating the berries, but seedlings of a named cultivar won't match the parent, so cuttings are the better route if you want a specific plant.
Myths
Firethorn berries are highly poisonous and will seriously harm any child or pet that eats them.
Firethorn isn't on the ASPCA toxic-plant lists, and the berries rate low in toxicity. Birds gorge on them all winter, the flesh is essentially harmless, and only trace cyanide-like compounds sit in the seeds. A few berries are safe, and a large helping at most brings a mild stomach upset. The real danger is the thorns, not the fruit.