At least I believe this is a pyracantha, commonly known as firethorn, even though I'd always thought it was a cotoneaster. I looked up cotoneaster in my Sunset Western Garden Book tonight and there was no mention of thorns. This plant you see in the photo has dangerous thorns, and only the pyracantha description mentions thorns. Both plants can grow tall like this and both have colorful orange or red berries. Both plants can grow in poor soil and are drought resistant. The fruits appears in July or August and last long enough to provide winter color.
This is the same shrub in bloom in May. The bees love the flowers. I can hear the tree buzzing as I approach it when the tree is in bloom. Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them.
This is a close-up of the pyracantha flowers.
Even though I no longer have a garden, I still have a copy of Sunset's Western Garden Book, which I use to look up plants I find on our walks. You are right, it is so useful. For the longest time I've thought cotoneasters were thorny. Thank you for setting me straight.
ReplyDeleteFor a very long time I thought my plant was a cotoneaster because the berries and the leaves and the shape of the plants look similar.
DeleteIt does look like Pyracantha. I had them growing around my house when I was a child, in El Cerrito. The berries cause digestion problems unless crushed then washed first. Even then, I would hesitate to eat any. We always said they were poisonous, and stayed away from them.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was a child running from yard to yard with the neighborhood kids. When ever we'd see a shrub with berries, if one kid wanted to try one, another was sure to say his mom said those berries were poisonous and not to eat them.
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