Consulta Plantas

Care of the shrub Pyracantha angustifolia or Narrowleaf firethorn

The genus Pyracantha, family Rosaceae, includes 7 species of shrubs native to Asia and southern Europe. Some species are: Pyracantha angustifolia, Pyracantha coccinea, Pyracantha crenulata.

Common names: Narrowleaf firethorn, Slender firethorn, Woolly firethorn, Orange Firethorn. This species is native to China.

They are highly branched thorny evergreen shrubs that reach 3 meters (9.84 feet) in height. The leaves are leathery, dark green and linear-oblong with a rounded apex. The abundant small flowers appear in corymbs and are white. They bloom in spring. The fruits are yellow, red or orange and are very decorative; the fruits and leaves are toxic by ingestion.

They are used to form impenetrable hedges and screens, in bushy groups and as isolated specimens. They resist pollution from cities.

Pyracantha angustifolia grows in full sun and semi-shade exposures. They resist frost down to -20 ºC (-4 ºF).

They grow in any type of soil but prefer well-drained soils that contain organic matter.

Water regularly in spring and summer so that the substrate is always slightly damp; reduce watering the rest of the year. The adult specimens resist a few days of drought.

Fertilize with organic matter at the end of winter.

Prune in late winter to control growth and keep them compact especially if grown as hedges.

They are very resistant plants to the usual pests and diseases.

They are propagated from seed sown in the nursery in the spring and by cuttings in the fall or late summer.

Images of the shrub Pyracantha angustifolia or Narrowleaf firethorn