PYRACANTHA coccinea

Rustic shrub, perennial, evergreen and thorny, with a typical bushy and dense habit. Native to Europe and Asia Minor, it can grow quickly up to a height of 4 m and an almost equal width. Strongly branched already from the base, it lends twisted and irregular stems, generally thorny at the apex and with an initially yellowish and then brown bark. The leaves alternate and whole are lanceolate and slightly leathery, of a glossy dark green color on the upper side and opaque pale green on the lower one. Between April and May, the plant is covered with modest white flowers with 5 petals gathered in numerous and dense globose inflorescences, collected on the terminal part of the stems. The flowers are followed and remain for most of the winter by clusters of small red-orange berries, pulpy and containing the small seeds.

Very common and vigorous ornamental species, it needs a sunny or semi-shady position; it is suitable for any type of soil even if it prefers calcareous, fertile, deep and well-drained ones. Once consolidated and well developed, this plant tolerates drought, although some summer irrigations can improve its general appearance and favor its rich fruiting. It is very resistant to cold and frost even if they are intense and prolonged. It resists cold and frost even if they are intense and prolonged. It does not need a real pruning if grown in free form; if, on the other hand, you want the plant to have a particular shape or size, you can cut the dry, damaged and disordered branches and reduce the very thick ones: all this in spring following the vegetative restart. It can also be grown in pots or containers where it is advisable to limit its size; in the open ground it can be used to make medium or large hedges, it can be used alone to create a large spot of color in the garden or for greening and consolidation projects of road slopes.