One of the harbingers of the fall season is the ripening fruit on the Pyracantha shrubs, also known as Firethorn.  Not only does this colorful show begin in the late summer, but the berries (actually they are pomes) are classic fall colors of red, orange and even a few hard-to-find golden varieties.  Although they are best known for their fruit, don't overlook the fact that they have very attractive clusters of white flowers in the late spring.  Pyracanthas are evergreen in Hampton Roads and make excellent barrier plantings as they have lots of thorns up and down the stems.  They are also good for attracting birds to your yard who like to use the shrubs for well protected shelter, plus they relish the fruit.  Late in the winter the pomes will often ferment to the point that you could have drunken robins careening through your garden.  Pyracantha can be a wild grower behaving at times like a shrub which wants to be a vine.  This habit makes it ideal for fences, trellises, espaliers, and Pyracantha looks especially good growing up red brick walls and chimneys.
 
     Pyrancanthas should be situated in full sun, but they will also grow in some shade, however don't expect as many flowers or berries.  They are not particular about soil types, but do avoid soggy or poorly drained locations.  Pyracanthas are quite able to withstand poor, hot dry conditions, once they get established.  They would benefit from an occasional fertilizing, particularly in the first few years.  I would recommend a well balanced food, especially formulated for evergreen shrubs.  Pruning is a little different on these shrubs than on other evergreens.   Because one of their main attributes is the colorful fruit, you want to prune so as to avoid removing the pomes.  This is best accomplished if you prune them while they are flowering.  Avoid branches that have blossoms on them, and this way the fruit will have a chance to mature.  You will need to be on the lookout for several insects that can bother Pyracanthas.  Wooly aphids resemble lint clinging to the branches and can be a problem in the summer, but a strong spray of water will wash them off.  Lacebug can also be a problem and these are best treated preventively with an application of environmentally friendly dormant oil in late winter.
 
     Pyracanthas are members of the Rose family, and most are available as either Pyracantha coccinea (Scarlet Firethorn), Pyracantha koidzumi (Formosa Firethorn), or as hybrids between the two.   Perhaps the two most popular varieties are 'Mohave' with its early ripening orange fruit and 'Victory' with its later forming red fruit.  Both of these will easily reach 6-10' tall and wide unless they are pruned.  If these get too big for your garden, you may want to seek out 'Low Boy' which only grows to 3' tall and wide with orange fruit.  Next spring at Smithfield Gardens, you should also be able to find a new variety called 'Silver Lining' with variegated cream and green foliage. This culitvar has orange pomes and only gets 3' tall by 5' wide. 
 

     One word of caution before you plant a Pyracantha - the thorns can cause a reaction in a small number of people, so it is best advised to use gloves when working around them.  When I was a child, we had new neighbors move in next door where the previous owners grew Pyracantha.  The first bit of gardening the new neighbor did was to remove the Pyracanthas, not knowing he was allergic, and he ended up in the emergency room with an anti-histamine IV drip.  Although this type of reaction is extremely rare, it gave new meaning to him for the word Firethorn.
 
Les Parks