Pyracantha coccinea Red Star - Scarlet Firethorn

Pyracantha 'Red Star' is a recent variety that offers many advantages. Its white flowering in May-June is particularly abundant and beneficial for pollinating insects. It is followed by highly decorative, bright red berries that remain on the branches until Christmas and even later, providing food for birds in winter. This shrub, which is less thorny than other Pyracantha varieties, can easily be trained, shaped on an arch or other structure, and grown in a container. When planted in the ground, it will form a clump 1.80 to 2 m (6 to 7ft) tall and 1.50 m (5ft) wide. Adaptable to all types of soil, it can grow in full sun as well as part shade, making it one of the easiest plants to grow!

Native to Asia and southern Europe, Pyracanthas belong to the large and important family of Rosaceae, which gives us so many ornamental species (Roses obviously, but also Photinia, Potentilla, Amelanchier...), as well as most of our temperate climate fruit trees (Pear, Apple, Cherry, Peach, Apricot, Plum...) and many native species in our countryside. Morphologically, Pyracantha is quite similar to Cotoneaster, but it is distinguished, among other things, by the presence of often quite formidable spines, which for years restricted its use to defensive hedges.
This is a genus that has been extensively worked on by breeders, particularly for ornamental and disease resistance criteria, and many cultivars are available on the market. 'Red Star' is a recent variety that was awarded prizes in 2019 in two international horticultural competitions (IPM Neuheit in Germany, and Goud GrootGroenPlus in the Netherlands), proving its ornamental value. It is also a useful plant, both for its highly melliferous flowers that attract bees and other pollinators, and for its fruits that are consumed by birds in winter when food is scarce for them.
This Pyracantha has a rather upright habit, very bushy, with numerous branches, and a moderate growth, reaching a height of about 2 m (7ft) and a width of 1.50 m (5ft) when fully grown. It produces evergreen, narrow and elongated leaves, of a beautiful dark green colour. In spring, in May-June depending on the climate, it is covered with clusters of fragrant white flowers, offering a remarkable spectacle. These evolve into small green berries in August, then turning bright red in September and the following months. These highly decorative fruits remain on the shrub until Christmas, and sometimes even beyond depending on the appetite of the birds that feed on them.
Red Star is also interesting for its less thorny character, which may reconcile some people with the Pyracantha genus. Its flexible stems can thus be easily trained on different supports, such as teepee trellises, arches, or pergolas, to create autumnal attraction in the garden. Its moderate growth and ability to withstand pruning also allow it to be grown in a decorative pot or container. When planted in the ground, it can obviously be used in a hedge, but also in a flower bed where it can be left to grow with its natural shape, without any pruning. There is nothing prettier than a few branches scattered among the surrounding vegetation when they are covered with red berries in autumn!
Like other varieties, this Pyracantha is extremely adaptable, growing in almost all types of soil, neutral, acidic or alkaline, moist to dry, and it withstands drought once well established. It can grow in full sun or partial shade, and can even tolerate shade in hot, Mediterranean climates.

A well-known hedging plant in the 1980s, Pyracantha could have become outdated, victim of its widespread and indiscriminate use. In reality, it remains a reliable choice that continues to attract the interest of breeders. Tolerating all growing conditions, resistant to urban pollution, and even tolerant of indelicate pruning, it deserves to be part of the modern planting palette. Less thorny than its relatives, the 'Red Star' cultivar offers an opportunity for further uses than the typical defensive hedge. Plant it in a mixed flower bed alongside other shrubs and perennials, where it will not only offer abundant spring flowering but also its decorative interest in autumn and winter. Enhance its structure with summer blooms, such as Mallows with large white or pink flowers. Lagerstroemias (Crape Myrtles), will also be perfect companions, especially if choosing varieties with purple foliage that will contrast with the dark green leaves of 'Red Star', such as Lagerstroemia indica Black Solitaire Best Red.