Pyracantha angustifolia
Slender or woolly firethorn, Slender Or Woolly Firethorn
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Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Pyracantha angustifolia (Slender or woolly firethorn) is a non-native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by narrow leaves without teeth and gray-hairy appearance.
Slender firethorn is a naturalized shrub found in coastal central California regions, including the Coast Ranges and Central Coast, in disturbed areas such as abandoned fields and roadsides at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces white flowers in small clusters with dense gray hairiness. Growing as an erect shrub up to 4 meters tall with generally gray-hairy branches, it develops a compact and upright form. Its leaves are narrow and oblong to slightly oblanceolate, measuring 25 to 50 millimeters long, with minimal teeth and hairs that thin with age. The fruit develops as bright red berries approximately 4 to 6 millimeters wide, creating decorative clusters against the shrub's gray-green foliage.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 2 sympatric species; key features are narrow leaves without teeth and gray-hairy appearance
Habitat and range
Habitat: Disturbed areas, fencerows, abandoned fields, roadsides
Elevation: < 200 m
Outside California: native to China
Bloom period
Pyracantha angustifolia blooms Feb-Jun.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Heteromeles: Pyracantha has thorns and narrow leaves; toyon lacks thorns and has wider serrated leaves.; vs Cotoneaster: Pyracantha has thorns; Cotoneaster is thornless.; vs Nandina: Pyracantha has simple leaves and thorns; nandina has compound leaves and no thorns.; vs Ceanothus: Pyracantha has thorns and orange-red berries; Ceanothus lacks thorns and has dry capsules.; vs Prunus: Pyracantha has clustered small pome fruits; Prunus has single larger stone fruits per flower.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pyracantha angustifolia native to California?
No. Pyracantha angustifolia is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Pyracantha angustifolia bloom?
Pyracantha angustifolia blooms Feb-Jun.
What plant family does Pyracantha angustifolia belong to?
Pyracantha angustifolia is in the Rosaceae family, genus Pyracantha.
Is Pyracantha angustifolia invasive in California?
Pyracantha angustifolia is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
What habitat does Pyracantha angustifolia grow in?
Pyracantha angustifolia grows in Disturbed areas, fencerows, abandoned fields, roadsides.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.