scarlet firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea M.Roem.
Scarlet firethorn forms a stiff, upright, much-branched shrub armed with sharp spines. Its evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage provides a backdrop for white flower clusters and later orange to red fruit. Gardeners also train its branches flat against walls or fences. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Pyracantha coccinea
Botanical name
Pyracantha coccinea M.Roem. is an accepted species in Rosaceae; the supplied spaced author abbreviation denotes the same name. Kew Plants of the World Online: Pyracantha coccinea
Recognizing the plant
The leaves are alternate, glossy, and narrowly oval to lance-shaped, usually about one to two and a half inches long. Their undersides are paler and may be hairy. Small five-petalled flowers gather in dense, two- to three-inch-wide clusters on short shoots produced on older growth. The berry-like fruits are botanically pomes, each roughly a quarter-inch across. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Pyracantha coccinea
Seasonal development
North Carolina horticultural account
North Carolina Extension describes spring flowering, followed by autumn fruit that can remain into winter. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Pyracantha coccinea
Native range
The species is native from southern and south-central Europe eastward to Iran. Kew records introduced populations well beyond this native area, including parts of North America, southern Africa, and the British Isles. Kew Plants of the World Online: Pyracantha coccinea
Ecological relationships
Birds eat the fruits and disperse the seeds. North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Pyracantha coccinea
Botanical sources
- Kew Plants of the World Online: Pyracantha coccinea
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox: Pyracantha coccinea
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.