How to Prune a Pyracantha
Pyracantha, or firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea), is a fast-growing evergreen shrub with rangy growth and thorny branches. The outstanding features are the attractive evergreen foliage and large amounts of red berries produced in the late summer and fall. It has a mounding habit and grows to 15 feet tall and wide. Pyracantha often is trained to grow over fences, espaliered along a wall or planted to form an impenetrable barrier. It is suitable for planting in well-drained, unimproved soil in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 10. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Prepare to prune a pyracantha shrub in early spring, when new flowers appear. Use a sharp hand-held pruning tool. Wear a pair of leather gloves to assist in removing the thorny limbs and safety glasses to protect your eyes.
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Prune out all dead branches back to a main branch or to the ground.
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Prune the older branches, which are the longest and thickest, first. The older branches also have no flowers. Pyracantha berries and blooms are formed on 1-year-old wood, so the non-blooming branches will not have berries and will be the older wood. Prune the older branches back to a main stem. Completely remove the stem by cutting back to a main branch to give the shrub a natural appearance.
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Cut back any new branches as needed for size. Cut the long, rangy stem back to a main branch first. Do not prune branches that are the desired length. This pruning method prevents the woody lower growth and thick growing ends that would occur if the plant were sheared at one level. It also encourages more bloom and berry production.
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Spread a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch over the root system of the pyracantha to conserve moisture. Water deeply to help the plant recover from pruning.
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