I feel just horrible about this confession, but one time I dug up a sweet, thorny pyracantha bush and tossed it out. Please let me explain this one, as the tale goes back 20 years or so.
But, let’s first talk about the red berry pyracantha bush.
Pyracantha Bush
The Pyracantha bush is a genus of large, thorny evergreens. Sometimes the plant is called by its nickname of “fire thorns”. The plant is native to Southwest Europe east to South east Asia. The shrub grows up to 10-15 feet high and wide.
The plant produces berries which are red, reddish-orange, or yellow in color. Apparently birds are attracted to the berries during the winter months. Some online sites states the seeds in the berries are slightly poisonous causing gastric distress. However, other places state that only the inner seeds are poisonous.
The plant has large thorns and dense growth, so it makes a great natural fence.
The below photograph show an orangish-red pyracantha bush being trained into an attractive holiday tree shape.
My Garden Story of the Pyracantha
When I first moved into my home, near one corner of the house was a small pyracantha bush. It truly had lovely bright berries during the winter months. A few times I clipped a few fresh branches to add to the fireplace mantle decorations.
As the years went by, the easy to grow plant got larger and larger. Every year, I was forced to cut it back to keep it in proportion to the yard and away from the foundation. It took a good deal of time to trim the plant since you had to be so careful of the thorns.
Unfortunately, every time I clipped it back, I also, would jag myself on one or more of the super sharp thorn’s hidden in the leaves. I remember one time, a neighbor asked for a few of the berries. Sure, I said but to watch the thorns. Of course, he immediately stuck his finger on a thorn.
Ending Notes of the Sweet, Thorny Pyracantha Blog
Well pretty much the ending of the shrub is when I decided to cut the branches way back. I used a saw to do this. Unfortunately, in its weakened state, the branches and leaves became diseased. Instead of trying to treat the disease, I was done with the plant. So, I dug it up and tossed it out.
Truth be told, a huge problem with the landscaping at my house was the previous homeowners planted everything way too close to the house or sidewalk. This pyracantha bush was planted too close to the home’s foundation. I, also, was forced to remove a bunch of azaleas and shrubbery planted only about three inches away from the front sidewalk. These bushes needed constant attention to keep my sidewalk open and walkable.
It’s a bitter sweet memory for me as I truly loved the bright berries of the Pyracantha shrub in the wintertime. For my Reader’s information, in its place I planted a thorn-less Mountain Laurel. Perfect, no more sore fingers and easy to care for
However, the moral to this story is when selecting a tree, plant or shrub for your home, please check to see how large it will grow. Only select the perfect size for the site and then plant it according to the planting instructions away from sidewalks and foundations.
Enjoy your day and happy autumn planting.
A Big Thank You to Merrifield Garden Center for allowing me to blog and photograph items in their store. The photographed holiday Yukon Bell Pyracantha is available for purchase at their store.
Resource Sites: Wikipedia and www.monrovia.com