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scarlet firethorn Rosaceae Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem. Listen to the Latin Print a QR link to this factsheet symbol: PYCO2
Leaf: Alternate, simple, oblong to lanceolate, serrated margin, 1 to 2 inches long, evergreen, shiny, dark green above, paler and pubescent below.
Flower: Creamy white, 5 petals, 1/3 inch across in tight clusters several inches across, appearing in late spring to early summer..
Fruit: Small pome, 1/4 inch across, bright orange-red, occurring in tight clusters, very showy, ripens in late summer and persists through the winter.
Twig: Slender, initially pubescent, later glaborous, red-brown, numerous spines, small buds.
Bark: Smooth reddish brown with numerous lenticels.
Form: Upright, open shrub with stiff limbs and many thorns, can reach 15 feet tall.
 Looks like: cotoneaster - Japanese holly

scarlet firethorn leaf image
scarlet firethorn flower image
scarlet firethorn fruit image
scarlet firethorn twig image
scarlet firethorn bark image
scarlet firethorn form image
scarlet firethorn map image

Additional Range Information: Pyracantha coccinea is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information