Pyracantha coccinea

Firethorn or scarlet firethorn, Firethorn

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Firethorn is a naturalized shrub found in the high Cascade Range, often in mixed-conifer forests and disturbed ground at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces white flowers clustered in dense, gray-hairy inflorescences. Growing to 6 meters tall with an upright form, it develops gray-hairy branches that become smoother with age. Its leaves are generally elliptic or ovate, 20 to 40 millimeters long with small teeth and a sharp tip, initially hairy on the undersides but becoming glabrous. The fruit develops as bright red berries approximately 5 to 8 millimeters wide, creating striking ornamental clusters.

Habitat: Mixed-conifer forest, disturbed ground

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: CaRH, expected elsewhere

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.