A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y X Z

Click on images to enlarge

habit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

stems and leaves with finely toothed margins (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

flowers (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

flowers and bright red mature fruit (Photo: Sheldon Navie)

Pyracantha coccinea

Scientific Name

Pyracantha coccinea M. Roem.

Family

Malaceae (New South Wales)
Rosaceae (Queensland, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia)

Common Names

buisson ardent, everlasting thorn, fiery thorn, fire thorn, firethorn, pyracanth, red firethorn, scarlet firethorn

Origin

Native to southern Europe (i.e. southern France, north-eastern Spain, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, north-eastern Yugoslavia and southern Ukraine) and south-western Asia (i.e. northern Iran, Lebanon, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia).

Naturalised Distribution

Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. recorded from south-eastern South Australia and possibly also naturalised in the ACT).

Also widely naturalised in the USA and Argentina.

Notes

Scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) is regarded as a potentially serious environmental weed in the ACT. Like other firethorns (Pyracantha spp.), it invades dry forests and woodlands adjacent to urban areas. It is mainly spread from gardens into bushland by birds and other animals that eat its colourful fruit.