Pyracantha coccinea Mohave

The Pyracantha 'Mohave' is a cultivar of bush selected for its large, bright orange-red fruits, which are well-coloured and decorative until December. It is a vigorous bushy shrub with sharp thorns and small evergreen leaves, ovate and dark green. Its generous white flowering attracts pollinators in late spring, followed by numerous berries that provide an essential food source for birds during the winter. It is a decorative shrub all year round, ideal for free or defensive hedges. This extremely robust plant tolerates pruning well and adapts to various growing conditions.

Originating from Asia and southern Europe, pyracanthas have given rise to many horticultural varieties. Like cotoneasters, they belong to the rose family. 'Mohave', with its vigorous growth, has an upright, bushy habit that reaches an average height of 3m with a spread of 1m. Its flowering period extends from May to June, depending on the mildness of the climate. Numerous clusters of small pure white flowers appear along the branches in corymbs. This flowering is melliferous and pleasantly scented. It is followed by the formation of bright orange-red berries, wider than those of other varieties. The shiny foliage, broadly ovate and dark green, persists in winter and remains dense. The branches, tinged with reddish-brown, are equipped with formidable thorns about 3 centimetres long, which arch as they age.
Is it too commonly planted, pruned, diseased, or seen? The modern pyracantha is, in any case, a shrub that tolerates any growing conditions and significantly does not suffer from geometric or more or less artistic pruning. A boon for uncultivated or even rocky soils, it brings a touch of luxuriance and colour to neglected gardens and abandoned boundaries while perfectly fulfilling its role as a defender. Perfect for creating defensive hedges, it will draw attention, especially in autumn and winter, with its abundant colourful fruiting while preserving the garden from prying eyes and providing shelter for many small garden-friendly animals. It can grow freely, in the distance, at the corner of a somewhat sad building, or the edge of a natural grove; in these conditions, it will become spectacular, with flowers or fruits. Mix it with other varieties in hedges to play with the different fruit colours and other shrubs such as Cotoneaster, Holly, Elaeagnus, deciduous or evergreen Euonymus, brooms, bay laurel...