Pyracantha is in the Rosaceae family in the subset that contains Crataegus. It provides bright orange berries during the winter, a time lacking in colour. It is a very robust tree that is easy to grow and responsive to pruning, the fruit is easy to set naturally without intervention. Even beginners can produce fruit easily, providing fun and enjoyment for those taking their first steps. Its generic name is Pyracantha which refers to the overall species, but in bonsai we use ‘Tachibana Modoki’ to refer to the orange fruiting variety we look at here, and ‘Tokiwa Sanzashi’ refers to the red fruiting variety.
- Common name: Firethorn
- Genus: Pyracantha
- Family: Rosaceae
- Species: Angustifolia, atalantioides, coccinea
- Foliage: Narrow elliptical leaves dark green in colour. Leaves will turn yellow in autumn and drop.
- Bark: Smooth and grey brown in colour.
- Flower and fruit:
All species have white flowers, orange, yellow or red berries. The flowers bud in spring the berries develop late summer maturing in autumn.
Propagating
Cuttings are easy to take and don’t require much care. They are taken using semi-hardwood. The best time to take cuttings is something that experts discuss. However, while taking them from late May is fine, they can also be taken right through to October and November.
Air layering
Apply layers in early spring. It is sometimes best to wait two years before detaching the layer in order to gain strong rooting.
Placement
Grow in good light all year round, but avoid harsh sunlight if pots are shallow and keep out of prolonged frost and especially harsh winds.
Watering
Water thoroughly during growing season. In winter keep the tree moist.
Wiring
Wiring is not a problem at all, the branches are quite flexible, but can suddenly break. Use aluminium wire.
The firethorn
How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods with interesting and unusual species. With the help of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to completion. Here we are making a twin trunk from cuttings of a Pyracantha angustifolia, narrow leaf firethorn.
