Firethorn ∗ The 10 best care tips and varieties

origin

From our point of view, the wild forms of the firethorn genus, botanically Pyracantha, originally come from south-eastern areas. The mediterraneanFirethorn, Pyracantha coccinea, has its origin in Southeastern Europe, the three other wild forms Pyracantha crenatoserrata, P. rogersiana and P. koidzumii come from China and Taiwan. In our latitudes mainly garden forms are cultivated, which are bred as crosses from the various wild forms. They cope very well with the local climatic conditions.

growth

The firethorns grow as upright shrubs with sparse branches and a very dense crown. In total, they reach heights of around 2 to 6 meters - there are clear differences depending on the variety. Some of the larger varieties also have a tree-like habit. Its branches are covered with a dark brown, later grayish to olive colored bark and covered with long, pointed thorns.

The growth characteristics at a glance:

Upright, shrubby to tree-like habit
Sparse branches, dense crown formation
2 to 6 meters high, depending on the variety
Branches with dark bark and long thorns

leaves

The leaves of the firethorn are usually alternate on short stems or in clusters on the branches. With their elongated, inverted egg-shaped to lanceolate shape and the smooth to finely sawn edge, they have a certain similarity to other hedge plants such as hawthorn or privet. Their rich, dark green color, which is a little lighter on the underside, lasts all year round and thus serves as an effective privacy screen. Firethorns can only shed their leaves in extremely severe temperatures below zero.

The leaf features in brief:

Alternating to tuft-like standing
Inverted ovoid to lanceolate
Smooth to finely sawn edge
Rich dark green, lighter below in color
Evergreen, are only thrown off in very hard frost

blossom

The flowers of the firethorn open in spring around April or May and are very similar to those of the hawthorn. They are pretty, small panicles in white that are lush and close together. The single flowers have five petals over five green sepals and up to 15 long stamens. The numerical and nectar richness of the dense inflorescences are also a valuable insect pasture.

The firethorn blossoms summarized again:

Flowering time from April / May
Dense, lush panicles of umbrella in white
Plentiful supply of nectar for beneficial insects

fruit

The fruits of the firethorn ripen in autumn and, thanks to the willing pollination of the insects, are just as numerous as the flowers. The firethorn also owes its name to its yellow to orange-red or red color. The firethorn berries look a bit like small apples and are about the size of a pea. Birds like to eat them, but unfortunately they are largely inedible for humans.

use

The firethorn is valued primarily as a hedge plant because of its dense growth. Because it is intensely thorny, some plant dealers even advertise it as being burglar-resistant. Its bright berries, which appear in yellow, orange and red depending on the cultivation, are also a beautiful fruit ornament over a long period of time. They also serve as a food source for many birds and thus increase the diversity of the garden fauna. But the dense branches of the firethorn are also good for the bird world - well-protected nesting quarters can be built here to keep predators such as martens and cats away.

For humans, the berries of the firethorn, as seductively as they shine, are unfortunately inedible and even slightly poisonous. So the plant cannot really be used in the kitchen - at best by boiling it and separating the pulp from it Kernels can be made into a tasty and well-tolerated purée - but that means a lot of work with the liquor Lotte.

How you can use the Firethorn:

As a tightly shielding, privacy hedge
As a decorative ornament (blossom, luminous fruit ornament)
Promotion of the garden fauna diversity
Conditional: culinary processing of the fruits

hedge

As a hedge, the firethorn has both a practical and an aesthetic use. Due to its dense, thorny growth and its evergreen foliage, it can be a good shielding property boundary. The more pruning you give it, the greater this effect will be. Due to the simple beauty of the flowers described above and the lush, colorful fruit formation you can also enjoy a very decorative sight in spring and a long phase in autumn.
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Which location is suitable?

The firethorn is generally relatively undemanding, which is another advantage for using it as a hedge plant. It can stand in the sun to partial shade, but in the sun it forms significantly more flowers and fruits. It is very robust against wind and weather and it usually withstands longer periods of heat without any problems.

When it comes to the nature of the soil, the firethorn is also pleasantly tolerant. The bottom should just not be too wet; fresh, well-drained soil is also beneficial for good growth - You should enrich an overly lean one with compost when planting and also later in spring. The ph-value is relatively irrelevant to the firethorn.

To note:

Location as sunny as possible
Very robust against rough weather and heat
Ground not too wet and not too lean (otherwise: compost fertilization)
pH value practically insignificant

What is the best time to plant?

Basically, you can plant preferred shrubs from the garden center at any time of the year. Spring and summer are best, however, so that the plants can grow in peace.

The correct planting distance

If you want to plant the firethorn as a hedge, place around 2 to 3 specimens per meter, depending on the size of the young shrubs you buy.

Cut firethorn properly

Especially if you want to cultivate the firethorn as a privacy hedge, you should cut it regularly. This keeps the growth compact and prevents too sparse and sparse crown formation. It is best to cut back immediately after flowering. In doing so, you simply thin out the bush a little and shorten the outer shoots. But: don't forget gloves because of the sharp thorns, preferably with gauntlets!

The firethorn also tolerates more radical cutbacks quite well, it is very willing to sprout again.

If you do not want to do without the bright, fire-colored fruit decorations in autumn, you should of course refrain from cutting and leave the flowers standing. Although it would still sprout a few more pollinable flowers after the cut, the fruit yield will of course be much lower.

The cutting recommendations at a glance:

If a dense, privacy-protecting hedge is sought: Regular, compactness-promoting pruning after flowering
If a rich, autumnal fruit ornament is desired: No pruning

bonsai

Due to its dense growth and its high regenerative capacity, the firethorn is also suitable for bonsai cultivation. In doing so, it does not require any particularly advanced experience. It can be raised very easily to become a miniature trunk, which easily takes on a tree-like character due to its dense crown.

For bonsai culture, place the firethorn in a planter with bonsai soil and volcanic granulate. Here, too, the highest possible amount of sunlight applies to the location. You should repot your mini firethorn every two years to start with. You should water moderately, because waterlogging can lead to root rot. If you want to have the glowing fruits on your bonsai firethorn, you can spur it on with bonsai fertilizer every 2 weeks after flowering.

For shaping, you can aim for a classic mini-tree shape by regularly shortening the lower shoots and simply re-sharpening the contour of the crown every spring. You should also thin out old branches towards the end of the vegetation phase.

Advanced or More artistically demanding people can also work with wire and tensioning.

Bonsai care at a glance:

Firethorn is well suited for simple bonsai cultivation due to its dense growth and good ability to regenerate
Substrate: Bonsai soil with volcanic granulate
Sunny location, moderate watering
Shapes: For example as mini trees or more differentiated with wires
Fertilize for fruiting after flowering

Diseases

The firethorn is quite insensitive to diseases. What is most likely to hurt him is a surface that is too wet - then he can also start to rot in the field. So pay attention to a rather dry location with good drainage when planting.

Some firethorn varieties can also be attacked by scab - but most garden varieties are resistant to it. If you have a non-resistant variety and scab infestation occurs, you should immediately remove the diseased parts of the plant and apply a fungicide.

Occasionally the firethorn can also be afflicted by fire blight. Because of its epidemic spread, this bacterial disease has to be reported and is unfortunately incurable. It manifests itself through wilting and a brown-black discoloration of the leaves, later the shoot tips kink because of separated supply lines. Depending on the age, the plant dies after 3 weeks to several years.
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Removed

If you want to remove a firethorn, you have to prepare for quite a tedious job. Because the rose plant has deep, dense roots that are difficult to dig up completely. The work is of course made more difficult by the sharp thorns of the above-ground plant area.

Therefore, remove all large branches first so that you have easier access to the trunk. Then loosen the root area as much as possible to get to the main root cords. You cut these off with a knife and then try to turn the plant down. You can then dig out the remaining root remains, depending on whether you want to plant something new in the area or leave the area free.
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Is Firethorn Poisonous?

The firethorn is not poisonous in itself. Most parts of the plant, i.e. the roots, branches and leaves, do not contain any toxins. It is a little different with the fruits. The pips of the bright yellow to orange-red berries contain substances that are not really toxic, but which can lead to unpleasant phenomena when eaten. These include above all the flavonoid rutin and chlorogenic acid. The hydrocyanic acid that forms when it is metabolized is a particularly critical factor.

In small children, excessive consumption can cause digestive problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. For adults, the concentration of the substances is too low for serious complaints to occur when they are consumed.

The effect of hydrogen cyanide is more critical in cats and dogs, as they are less able to break it down. If your pet has eaten the firethorn berries, it can lead to severe energy metabolism and circulatory disorders. If possible, induce vomiting in the animal, do not give it fluids to drink and contact a veterinarian immediately.
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Tips

If you attach particular importance to the late summer and autumn fruit decorations, the combination of differently colored fruit varieties in a hedge community is also recommended. So you get a firework of colors in the truest sense of the word, which is particularly beautiful to look at in the light of golden October.

sorts

The hybrid cultivars for the garden are mainly categorized according to their berry color. They are available in the fire colors yellow, orange and red. Here you can choose depending on your taste and the ability to combine with neighboring garden plants. Resistance to scab is also often emphasized by dealers, but is present in the vast majority of breeds.

Yellow varieties

Soleil d'Or

The best known among the yellow fruit varieties is the Soleil d’Or. Your berries shine in a beautiful golden yellow. It is a small variety and is only 2 meters high and about one to one and a half meters wide. In terms of the speed of growth, with 10 to 30 centimeters per year, it is not necessarily primarily predestined for effective and fast property fencing.

The Soleil d’Or is very scab-resistant and quite frost-hardy. It tolerates regular pruning well. The small, white flowers appear from May to June and give off a wonderfully lovely scent.

As a location, it prefers a sunny to partially shaded place.

Orange varieties

Tetons

The Teton variety is a medium-sized one with a height increase of about 3 meters with moderate expansion in the width of one and a half to 2 meters. On the other hand, their branching is particularly dense, so that they are well suited for privacy protection.

It forms dark orange fruits from August. Its white flowers appear from May to June. Their frost resistance is good, as is their scab resistance.

Orange charmer

This variety delights with its fiery orange-colored fruits, which show up from September. From May to June, the Orange Charmer blooms with small, lush panicles of umbrellas that smell pleasant.

The variety is particularly broad and bushy in growth. With a rather small increase in height of 2 to 2½ meters, it expands up to 3½ meters in width. Like most varieties, it thrives best in the sun, but can also be in partial shade. It is scab and frost resistant.

Red varieties

Red Column

The Red Column shows a tight, upright growth with up to It is very insensitive to frost and heat. Its rich, dense, white flower clusters appear in April and May, the carmine-red bright fruits develop from it from September and can persist into winter. It does best in a sunny spot.