Pyracantha fortuneana

Chinese firethorn

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Chinese firethorn is a naturalized shrub found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Sacramento Valley, central western California, southern California, San Gabriel Mountains, San Bernardino Mountains, and expected in other regions, growing in disturbed ground, canyons, and riparian areas at elevations below 1,500 meters. Flowering from February to June, this plant produces white flowers in clusters, developing into distinctive orange-red to dark red fruits. Growing erect with rusty-hairy stems up to 4 meters tall, it forms a dense and somewhat irregular shrub. Its leaves are oblong-obovate to obovate, 15 to 60 millimeters long, with short teeth and an obtuse or slightly notched tip, becoming glabrous as they age. The fruits are small, ranging from 3 to 6 millimeters wide, creating bright clusters that stand out against the shrub's foliage.

Habitat: Disturbed ground, canyons, riparian areas

Bloom period: Feb-Jun

Elevation: < 1500 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRO, ScV, CW (exc SCoRI), SCo, SnGb, SnBr, 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.