- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- fruit
- use
- hedge
- Which location is suitable?
- What is the best planting time?
- The right planting distance
- Properly cut firethorn
- bonsai
- Diseases
- Remove
- Is firethorn poisonous?
- sorts
With their white, fragrant grape blossoms and fire-coloured, luxuriant infructescence, fire thorns are a very likeable and decorative hedge plant. In addition, they are easy to care for and increase the diversity of beneficial insects and birds in your garden.
Firethorn thrives very well here
Table of Contents
Show all- origin
- growth
- leaves
- blossom
- fruit
- use
- hedge
- Which location is suitable?
- What is the best planting time?
- The right planting distance
- Properly cut firethorn
- bonsai
- Diseases
- Remove
- Is firethorn poisonous?
- sorts
- The four wild forms come from Southeast Europe to Southeast Asia
- Garden forms, hybrids of wild forms, are the most common here
- Thrive very well in our climate
- Upright, shrubby to tree-like habit
- Sparse branches, dense crown development
- Depending on the variety 2 to 6 meters high
- Twigs with dark bark and long thorns
- Alternating to tufted
- Reverse ovate to lanceolate
- Smooth to finely serrated edge
- Rich dark green color, lighter below
- Evergreen, only shed in very hard frosts
- Flowering time from April/May
- Dense, lush white umbrella panicles
- Rich supply of nectar for beneficial insects
- As a tightly shielding, privacy-protecting hedge
- As a decorative ornament (blossom, bright fruit decoration)
- Promotion of garden fauna diversity
- Conditional: culinary processing of the fruit
- 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 almost irrelevant
- If a dense, privacy-protecting hedge is desired: Regular pruning after flowering to promote compactness
- If a rich, autumnal fruit decoration is desired: No pruning
- Firethorn well suited for simple bonsai culture due to its dense growth and good regenerative capacity
- Substrate: Bonsai soil with volcanic granules
- Sunny location, water moderately
- Shapes: For example as mini trees or differentiated with wires
- Fertilize after flowering for fruiting
origin
The wild forms of the firethorn genus, botanically Pyracantha, originally come from south-eastern areas from our point of view. The Mediterranean firethorn, Pyracantha coccinea, has its origin in south-eastern Europe, the other three wild forms Pyracantha crenatoserrata, P. rogersiana and P. koidzumii come from China and Taiwan. In our latitudes, garden forms are mainly cultivated, which are bred as crosses from the various wild forms. They cope very well with the local climatic conditions.
To remember:
growth
The firethorns grow as upright shrubs with sparse branches and a very dense crown. Overall, they grow to a height 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 twigs are covered with a dark brown, later greyish to olive-colored bark and have long, sharp thorns.
The growth characteristics at a glance:
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leaves
Firethorn leaves are usually alternate on short stems or in clusters on the branches. With their elongated, inverted egg-shaped to lanceolate shape and smooth to finely serrated edge, they bear a certain resemblance to other hedge plants such as hawthorn or privet. Their rich, dark green color, which is slightly lighter on the underside, remains all year round and thus serves as an effective privacy screen. Firethorns can only shed their leaves when the temperature is extremely severely below zero.
The leaf characteristics in keywords:
blossom
Firethorn blossoms open in spring around April or May and are very similar to those of hawthorn. They are pretty, small, white umbrella panicles that grow luxuriantly and densely together. The single flowers have five petals over five green sepals and up to 15 long stamens. The numerical and nectar-technical richness of the dense inflorescences are also a valuable insect pasture.
The firethorn blossoms summarized again:
fruit
In autumn the firethorn fruits ripen, which are just as numerous as the flowers thanks to the willing pollination of insects. 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
Firethorn is particularly popular as a hedge plant because of its dense growth. Because it has intensive thorns, some plant dealers even advertise it as burglar-resistant. Its bright berries, which appear in yellow, orange and red depending on the breed, are also a beautiful fruit decoration over a long period of time. They also serve as a source of food for many birds, thereby increasing the diversity of the garden fauna. But the dense twigs of the firethorn are also good for the bird world - well-protected nest quarters can be built here, which keep predators such as martens and cats away.
For humans, the berries of firethorn, as seductive as they shine, are unfortunately inedible and even slightly poisonous. So the plant cannot really be used in the kitchen - at best, a tasty and digestible mush can be produced by boiling and separating the pulp from the seeds - but that means a lot of work with the fleet lotte.
How to use Firethorn:
hedge
Firethorn has both practical and aesthetic uses as a hedge. With its dense, thorny growth and evergreen foliage, it can be a good shielding property boundary. The more cut care you give it, the higher this effect will be. Due to the simple beauty of the flowers described above and the lush, colorful fruiting, 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 use as a hedge plant. It can be sunny to half-shady, but in the sun it forms significantly more flowers and fruits. It is very robust against wind and weather and usually survives longer periods of heat without any problems.
As far as soil conditions are concerned, firethorn is also pleasantly tolerant. The ground should not be too wet, and fresh, well-drained soil is also conducive to good growth - if it is too lean, you should always enrich it with compost when planting and later in the spring. Firethorn doesn't really care about the pH value.
To remember:
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What is the best planting time?
You can basically plant pre-grown 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 right planting distance
If you want to plant firethorn as a hedge, plant around 2 to 3 specimens per meter, depending on the size of the young shrubs you have bought.
Properly cut firethorn
You should cut it regularly, especially if you want to cultivate the firethorn as a hedge that protects you from view. This keeps the growth compact and prevents a crown that is too sparse and light. It is best to cut back immediately after flowering. Simply thin out the shrub 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 pruning quite well, it is very willing to sprout again.
If you don't want to do without the bright, fire-colored fruit decorations in autumn, you should of course refrain from pruning and leave the blossoms. Although it would still produce a few pollinating flowers after the cut, the fruit yield would of course be much lower.
The cutting recommendations at a glance:
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bonsai
Due to its dense growth and its high ability to regenerate, the firethorn is also suitable for bonsai culture. It also doesn't require any particularly advanced experience. It is very easy to grow into a mini trunk, which easily takes on a tree-like character thanks to its dense crown.
For bonsai culture, place the firethorn in a planter with bonsai soil and volcanic granules. The highest possible level of sunlight also applies to the location. You should repot your mini Firethorn every two years at first. You should water moderately, because waterlogging can definitely lead to root rot. Anyone who would like to have the bright fruits on their bonsai firethorn can use bonsai fertilizer every 2 weeks after flowering.
For shaping, you can aim for a classic mini-tree shape by periodically trimming the lower shoots and simply re-sharpening the contour of the crown each spring. You should also prune out old branches towards the end of the growing season.
Advanced or artistically demanding can also work with wires and stretchers.
Bonsai care at a glance:
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Diseases
The firethorn is quite insensitive to diseases. What is most likely to affect it is if the ground is too wet - then it can also begin to rot outdoors. So when planting, make sure you choose a rather dry location with good drainage.
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. This bacterial disease is notifiable due to its epidemic-like spread and is unfortunately incurable. It is shown by wilting and a brown-black discoloration of the leaves, later the shoot tips bend off due to severed supply lines. Depending on its age, the plant dies after 3 weeks to several years.
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Remove
If you want to remove a firethorn, you have to be prepared for quite a tedious job. Because the rose plant has a deep, dense root system that is difficult to completely dig up. Of course, the work is also made more difficult by the sharp thorns of the above-ground part of the plant.
Therefore, first remove all large branches so that you have easier access to the trunk. Then loosen the root area as much as possible to get to the main root strands. Cut them off with a knife and then try to turn the plant over. You can then dig up the remaining root fragments further, depending on whether you want to plant something new in the spot or leave the spot bare.
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Is firethorn poisonous?
Firethorn itself is not poisonous. Most parts of the plant, i.e. the roots, branches and leaves, do not contain any toxins. It's a little different with the fruits. The cores of the bright yellow to orange-red berries contain substances that are not really toxic, but can lead to unpleasant symptoms when eaten. These include the flavonoid rutin and chlorogenic acid. Above all, the hydrocyanic acid that forms when they are metabolized is a critical factor.
Excessive consumption in small children can cause digestive problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. For adults, the concentration of the substances is too low to cause serious problems when consumed.
The effect of hydrocyanic acid is more critical in cats and dogs because 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 any liquid to drink and consult a veterinarian immediately.
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tips
If you attach particular importance to the late summer and autumn fruit decorations, the combination of different colored fruiting varieties in a hedge community is also recommended. In this way 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 Octobers.
sorts
The hybrid breeds for the garden are categorized primarily based on their berry color. They are available in the fire colors of yellow, orange and red. Here you can choose according to your taste and the ability to combine with neighboring garden plants. The scab resistance is also often emphasized by dealers, but is present in the vast majority of breeds.
Yellow Varieties
Soleil d'Or
The best-known of the yellow-fruited varieties is the Soleil d'Or. Its berries shine in a beautiful golden yellow. It is a short cultivar, only growing to around 2 meters tall and around one to one and a half meters wide. In terms of growth rate, at 10 to 30 centimeters per year, it is not necessarily predestined primarily for effective and quick property fences.
The Soleil d'Or is very resistant to scab and quite frost hardy. It tolerates regular pruning well. The small, white flowers appear from May to June and exude a wonderfully sweet scent.
As a location, it prefers a sunny to semi-shady place.
Orange varieties
Tetons
The Teton variety is medium-sized with a height of about 3 meters and a moderate spread in 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. Its frost hardness is good, as is its scab resistance.
Orange charmer
This variety delights with its fiery orange fruits, which appear from September. Orange Charmer flowers from May to June with small, lush umbrella panicles that have a pleasant scent.
The variety is particularly wide and bushy in growth. With a rather low height growth of 2 to 2 ½ meters, it expands up to 3 ½ meters in width. Like most strains, it thrives best in sun, but can also be in partial shade. It is scab and frost resistant.
Red varieties
Red Column
The Red Column shows a taut, upright habit of up to It is very insensitive to frost and heat. Its rich, dense, white flower clusters appear in April and May, the bright crimson fruits develop from September and can persist into winter. It thrives best in a sunny location.