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Pyracantha 'Shawnee'

Image of Pyracantha 'Shawnee'

Family

Rosaceae

Botanical Name

Pyracantha 'Shawnee'

Plant Common Name

Firethorn, Shawnee Firethorn

General Description

By fall harvest, the golden orange fruits of 'Shawnee' are so profuse they weigh down the horizontal branches to the point where they arch. A drought-tolerant hybrid, this thorny semi-evergreen shrub develops a pyramidal shape as it ages. Donald Egolf, of the U.S. National Arboretum, developed and selected this cultivar through various breeding efforts in the 1970s and evaluations. Like most of Egolf's hybrids, it shows good resistance to both scab and fireblight diseases.

The semi-evergreen leaves of this firethorn are fine, glossy, dark green and turn bronze-green in fall and winter. In very cold years they will drop off completely. In spring, 'Shawnee' bears many showy clusters of small,white, musty-smelling flowers that develop into glossy brilliant orange fruits resembling miniature apples. These persist to late winter and usually are not eaten by birds until no other foods are available.

Grow the firethorn in full sun and almost any well-drained soil, although slightly acid loams are best. It is versatile in the landscape and may be planted as informal hedging, in shrub borders or trained as an espalier or bonsai specimen.

Characteristics

  • AHS Heat Zone

    9 - 1

  • USDA Hardiness Zone

    7 - 9

  • Sunset Zone

    4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24

  • Plant Type

    Shrub

  • Sun Exposure

    Full Sun, Partial Sun

  • Height

    5'-7' / 1.5m - 2.1m

  • Width

    6'-9' / 1.8m - 2.7m

  • Bloom Time

    Spring

  • Native To

    Hybrid Origin

Growing Conditions

  • Soil pH

    Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline

  • Soil Drainage

    Well Drained

  • Soil type

    Clay, Loam, Sand

  • Tolerances

    Drought

  • Growth Rate

    Medium

  • Water Requirements

    Drought Tolerant, Average Water

  • Habit

    Pyramidal

  • Seasonal Interest

    Spring, Fall, Winter

Ornamental Features

  • Flower Interest

    Showy

  • Flower Color

    White

  • Fruit Color

    Orange

  • Foliage Color (Spring)

    Green, Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Summer)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Fall)

    Dark Green

  • Foliage Color (Winter)

    Dark Green, Bronze

  • Bark Color

    Gray

  • Fragrant Flowers

    Yes

  • Fragrant Fruit

    No

  • Fragrant Foliage

    No

  • Bark or Stem Fragrant

    No

  • Flower Petal Number

    Single

  • Repeat Bloomer

    No

  • Showy Fruit

    Yes

  • Edible Fruit

    No

  • Showy Foliage

    Yes

  • Foliage Texture

    Fine

  • Foliage Sheen

    Glossy

  • Evergreen

    Semi-Evergreen

  • Showy Bark

    No

Special Characteristics

  • Bark Texture

    Smooth

  • Usage

    Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Topiary / Bonsai / Espalier

  • Sharp or Has Thorns

    Yes

  • Invasive

    No

  • Attracts

    Birds

  • Self-Sowing

    No