(Firethorn, Red Elf Firethorn)

Brilliant fruit in fall and winter, handsome evergreen foliage, a compact habit, and good disease resistance make the firethorn hybrid Red Elf™ an excellent choice for smaller garden niches. The dwarf rounded spiny plants are adorned in late spring with clusters of muskily scented white flowers, which contrast strikingly with the small glossy dark green leaves. Green berries that resemble small apples follow the flowers, ripening red in fall and persisting into winter, much to the delight of hungry...

(Firethorn, Navaho Firethorn)

The drought tolerant and exceptionally disease-resistant 'Navaho' is a medium-sized semi-evergreen shrub that offers beautiful orange-red berries in fall and winter. It is likened to the popular ‘Mohave’ but has a slightly shorter stature.

The thorny branches of ‘Navaho’ become covered with small, glossy, dark green leaves that turn shades of bronze and green in fall and winter. In spring, they bear many showy clusters of white, musty smelling flowers that are attractive to bees. The green fruits...

(Firethorn, Orange Glow Firethorn)

The heavy crops of bright orange fruits produced by ‘Orange Glow’ are impressive and long-lasting. This vigorous and highly ornamental evergreen shrub has a dense rounded habit and is exceptionally drought tolerant and disease resistant. It is a hybrid of the scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) and Formosa firethorn (P. koidzumii).

The thorny branches of ‘Orange Glow’ become covered with small, glossy, dark green leaves that turn shades of bronze and green in fall and winter....

(Firethorn, Pueblo Firethorn)

Robust and persistent orange-red fruits weigh down the arching branches of 'Pueblo' firethorn from fall through winter. A drought-tolerant hybrid, this thorny semi-evergreen shrub has a spreading compact habit and matures to roughly one-half the size of standard firethorns. Donald Egolf, of the U.S. National Arboretum, crossed Pyracantha koidzumii 'Belli' with P. coccinea var. pauciflora to yield the seedling he selected and named 'Pueblo.' It shows good resistance to both...

(Asian Firethorn)

Among the smallest in leaf and showiest in fruit of the firethorns, this native of southwestern China is a large spiny evergreen shrub with arching, wide-spreading branches. Abundant clusters of small white flowers crowd the burgundy-red branches in late spring, contrasting strikingly with the oblong, shallowly toothed, glossy dark-green leaves. Small green apple-shaped berries follow the flowers, ripening to dazzling red-orange in fall. The fruits may be eaten by birds. This shrub is hardy only...

(Firethorn, Ruby Mound Firethorn)

The gracefully arching, low spreading branches of ‘Ruby Mound’ become covered with heavy crops of red fruits in autumn and winter. This vigorous and drought tolerant evergreen shrub has a dense habit with arching, broad-spreading branches. It is a hybrid of the scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) and Formosa firethorn (P. koidzumii).

The thorny branches of ‘Ruby Mound’ become covered with small, glossy, dark green leaves that turn shades of bronze and green in fall and...

(Firethorn, Shawnee Firethorn)

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...

(Firethorn, Soileil d'Or Firethorn)

Clustered on red-tinged, upright, spiny branches, the fruits of 'Soleil d'Or' glow like drops of sun in the fall and winter landscape. An evergreen shrub clothed in glossy, dark green, elliptic leaves, this French hybrid bears abundant clusters of musky-scented white flowers in late spring, followed by green apple-shaped berries that ripen golden-yellow in fall. The fruits persist into winter, much to the delight of hungry birds. This shrub is hardy only in areas with relatively mild winters.

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(Firethorn, Teton Firethorn)

Who would expect light yellow to yellow-orange berries on a firethorn? This drought-tolerant hybrid, 'Teton,' is a thorny, evergreen shrub with a dense, mature upright habit. It was developed and introduced in 1976 by Don Egolf of the U.S. National Arboretum. Its fine, glossy, dark-green leaves turn brown-green in fall and winter. In spring, it bears many, showy clusters of white, musty-smelling flowers that develop into unique, yellow-orange fruits resembling miniature apples. These persist very...

(Firethorn, Wonderberry Firethorn)

Handsome clusters of small, orange-red berries cover the branches of ‘Wonderberry’ in fall and winter. This vigorous and drought tolerant evergreen shrub has a broad, dense, rounded habit—making it well-suited as a shrub for screening.

The thorny branches of ‘Wonderberry’ become covered with small, glossy, dark green leaves that turn shades of bronze and green in fall and winter. In spring, they bear many showy clusters of white, musty smelling flowers that are attractive to bees. The green...