Back in May I showed you the flower on today’s #oneadayplant in a blog post on iplantsman.com - Pyracantha coccinea (Scarlet Firethorn). Now enjoy the fruit! . The first thing to be aware of is that P. coccinea isn’t very commonly available, but the cultivar ‘Red Column’ is and is an excellent plant very similar to this one indeed. . Glorious snow-like covering of flowers in May, buzzing with Bees changing over the summer to small, ultimately pea-sized fruits ripening to a glossy red. . It is a lax, evergreen shrub, that really benefits from being grown against a surface, like a wall. The benefit of radiated heat from a wall may also help ripen wood more, encouraging better flowering and fruiting. . Best in a sunnier spot. It will grow in shade, but typically underperforms. Avoid wet or overly damp soils too as, while they enjoy a good drink, they hate having their roots wet for any prolonged period. . Prickly, with needle-pointed thorns on the stems. Not always readily visible, but they will happily puncture your skin once touched. Subsequently, it makes an excellent intruder deterrent plant if planted under window etc. . A large plant in time, without pruning it can easily enough get to 4m (12’) tall given something to lean against. . Berries are inedible for humans, but popular with birds in late autumn and winter. . #pyracantha #pyracanthacoccinea #firethorn #flowers #may #berries #autumn #winter #thorns #prickly #red #glossy #fruits #iplantsman #shrubsofinstagram #wallshrub #gardening #plantingdesign #birds #bees #pollinatorplants #pollinators #plantsforbees #plantsforbirds #pollinatorgarden #gardeningadvice #gardeningtips (at Crowborough, East Sussex) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHPuZfmA3CV/?igshid=1mhvlqec0zhkb
