Pyracantha koidzumii
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- py-ra-KAN-tha koyd-ZUM-ee-i
- Description
-
Formosa Pyracantha is a medium evergreen shrub that grows up to 18' and is upright, stiff, and thorny. This plant blooms in late spring to early summer and has showy but extremely foetid flowers. The orange-red berries mature in fall and persist through winter. This plant has sharp thorns and requires pruning to look manicured. When pruning, keep in mind that next season's blossoms and fruit will appear on old growth.
This plant is good for espaliers and barriers as well as a specimen plant. This plant is often confused with P. coccinea, but is easily distinguished by leaves that are broadest at the apex and truncate, whereas P. coccinea leaves are broadest at the middle and taper apically.
This plant is hard to transplant. It is tolerant of partial shade, and hot and dry conditions. It prefers pH between 5.5 and 7.5. It has pest problems with lacebugs, scale, mites, fireblight, and fruit scab disease. This is a rapid grower but it is not a bird favorite. 'Lowdense' ('Low Dense') is a dwarf cultivar that berries heavily.
Wildlife Value: Particularly resistant to damage by deer.
Site: tolerates hot, dry sites
Form: Large, multi-stemmed shrub; stiff upright branches; can become unkept with age; dense, irregular spreading
Quick ID Hints:
- Some lateral branches terminate in sharp thorns
- Leaves truncate, often emarginate, broadest at apex
- Heavy clusters orange-red fruits in winter
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Lowdense' - dwarf cultivar
- 'Victory'
- 'Lowdense' - dwarf cultivar
- 'Lowdense' - dwarf cultivar, 'Victory'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Lowdense' - dwarf cultivar
- 'Victory'
- 'Lowdense' - dwarf cultivar
- 'Lowdense' - dwarf cultivar, 'Victory'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Pyracantha
- Species:
- koidzumii
- Family:
- Rosaceae
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Taiwan
- Wildlife Value:
- Flowers are visited by many kinds of pollinators. Fruits are consumed by birds. Particularly resistant to damage by deer.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 18 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Semi-evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Multi-stemmed
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are globose berries that are orange-red in color and less than an inch in diameter.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Corymb
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are white, foetid, and less than an inch in size. Inflorescence is a coryombose raceme on a leafy shoot that grows up to 4" across.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Semi-evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate, simple, evergreen to semi-evergreen, oblanceolate, entire or slightly serrate toward the apex. The apex is truncate to retuse and often emarginate. Leaves are 1-3" long and have sharp spines.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stems are reddish when young and become purplish.
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Landscape:
- Design Feature:
- Barrier
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Dry Soil
