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Rosaceae FAMILY Least Concern

Pyracantha angustifolia

Pyracantha angustifolia

Edibility
1/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, it belongs to a genus where most, if not all members of the genus produce hydrogen cyanide, a poison that gives almonds their characteristic flavour. This toxin is found mainly in the leaves and seed and is readily detected by its bitter taste. It is usually present in too small a quantity to do any harm but any very bitter seed or fruit should not be eaten. In small quantities, hydrogen cyanide has been shown to stimulate respiration and improve digestion, it is also claimed to be of benefit in the treatment of cancer. In excess, however, it can cause respiratory failure and even death.

Cultivation Details

HabitEvergreen Shrub
Growth—

Pyracantha angustifolia is a fairly cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -10°c[1]. Prefers a good well-drained, moisture retentive loamy soil[2, 1]. Succeeds in any soil that is warm and not very heavy[3]. Another report says that it grows well in heavy clay soils. Succeeds on chalky soils[4]. Succeeds in sun or part shade, though it does not fruit so well in a shady position[1]. Tolerates atmospheric pollution and reasonable exposure[1]. Plants are not reliably hardy in the colder areas of Britain[5]. Susceptible to scab and fireblight[3], especially when grown on acid sandy soils[6]. Pyracantha species in general are hosts of the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, which causes fireblight, a disease that seriously affects various cultivated fruit crops such as apples and pears[7]. Birds are less attracted to the fruit of this species than they are to other members of the genus, and the fruit can hang on the plant through the winter[6, 8].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame[1]. Remove all the fruit flesh since this can inhibit germination[1]. Stored seed requires 3 months cold stratification, sow it as early in the year as possible in a cold frame[9]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the cold frame for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of almost mature wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, mid-August in a cold frame[10]. Pot up in early autumn or the following spring[10]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-21. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Pyracantha+angustifolia>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  2. [2]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  3. [3]Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. — Bean. W. · Murray · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.
  4. [4]Garden Plants Valuable to Bees. — International Bee Research Association. · International Bee Research Association. · 1981 · ISBN - ↩︎The title says it all.
  5. [5]Gardening on Walls — Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. · Collins · 1983 · ISBN 0-00-219220-0 ↩︎A nice little book about plants for growing against walls and a small section on plants that can grow in walls.
  6. [6]Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. — Thomas. G. S. · Murray · 1992 · ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 ↩︎Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.
  7. [7]Invasive Species Compendium — http://www.cabi.org ↩︎An immense resource - in depth information on over 900 species of invasive plants (it also has information on animals, fungi etc).
  8. [8]New Trees — Grimshaw J.; Bayton R.; Wilks H. · Kew Publishing; London · 2009 · ISBN 1842461737 ↩︎Provides comprehensive botanical descriptions and horticultural commentary on over 800 tree species that have been introduced to cultivation in recent decades.
  9. [9]The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. — Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. · Athens Ga. Varsity Press · 1987 · ISBN 0942375009 ↩︎A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.
  10. [10]Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. — Sheat. W. G. · MacMillan and Co · 1948 · ISBN - ↩︎A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.
  11. [11]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
  12. [12]Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk — http://www.hear.org/pier/scientificnames/index.html ↩︎A very good website detailing weed species that have been introduced into the Pacific Islands.
  13. [13]Flora of China — Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. · 1994 · http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ ↩︎An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available.
  14. [14]Edible Ornamental Garden. — Bryan. J. and Castle. C. · Pitman Publishing · 1976 · ISBN 0-273-00098-5 ↩︎A small book with interesting ideas for edible plants in the ornamental garden.
  15. [15]Ethnobotany of the Himalayas — Kunwar R.M., Sher H. & Bussmann R.W. (Eds) · Springer Nature; Switzerland · 2021 · https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57408-6 · ISBN 978-3-030-57407-9 ↩︎
  16. [16]Ethnobotanical study of traditional edible plants used by the Naxi people during droughts — Zhang L. et al · 2016 · http://10.1186/s13002-016-0113-z ↩︎Brief details of 141 food plants (38 cultivated, 103 wild species) used by the Naxi people of China in times of drought.
  17. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎