Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Shrubs

Pyracantha coccinea 'Red Column'

scarlet firethorn 'Red Column'

An upright, evergreen shrub with glossy eliptical leaves and spiny stems. Clusters of white flowers are produced in early summer followed by red berries lasting through autumn and into early winter.

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
29 suppliers

Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

2.5–4 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or East–facing or South–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Rosaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Columnar upright, Spreading branched
Potentially harmful: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten - see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants for further information and useful contact numbers
Genus: Pyracantha are evergreen shrubs or small trees, with spiny branches bearing simple leaves and corymbs of small white flowers followed by showy red, orange or yellow berries
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in a fairly fertile, moisture retentive but free draining soil in sun or partial shade. Suitable for training as a wall shrub.

Propagation

Propagate from semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings. Can be grown from seed but specific cultivars will show some differences from the parent plant.

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Wildlife gardens
Climber and wall shrubs
Flower borders and beds
Wall side borders
Hedging and screens

Pruning

In spring, remove older fruited stems to allow younger stems to ripen and flower next year.

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, woolly aphid, caterpillars, brown scale and leaf-mining moths

Diseases

May be susceptible to pyracantha scab, honey fungus and fireblight

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.