''Pyracantha coccinea'', the scarlet firethorn is the European species of

firethorn ''Pyracantha'' (from Greek "fire" and "thorn", hence firethorn) is a genus of large, thorny evergreen shrubs in the family Rosaceae, with common names firethorn or pyracantha. They are native to an area extending from Southwest Europe east t ...

or red firethorn that has been cultivated in gardens since the late 16th century. The tree has small white flowers. It produces small, bright red berries. Its leaves are slightly toothed and grow opposite to one another. The fruit is bitter and astringent, making it inedible when raw. The fruit can be cooked to make jellies, jams, sauces and marmalade. It ranges from southern Europe to western Asia. It has been introduced to

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...

and cultivated there as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

since the 18th century. In England, since the late 18th century, it has been used to cover unsightly walls.

Cultivars

* ''Pyracantha coccinea'' 'Kasan'. * ''Pyracantha coccinea'' 'Lalandei'. About 1874, M. Lalande, a nurseryman in

Angers Angers (, , ) is a city in western France, about southwest of Paris. It is the prefecture of the Maine-et-Loire department and was the capital of the province of Anjou until the French Revolution. The inhabitants of both the city and the prov ...

, France, selected from seedlings of ''P. coccinea'' an improved form, more freely berrying than the type. A sport has produced a yellow-berried form. These, and further selections, have largely ousted the ordinary form from nursery stock. * ''Pyracantha coccinea'' 'Sparkler'.''P. coccinea'' 'Sparkler'
at www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 30 Aug 2017.

References and external links

*
info from Floridadata.com
' * coccinea {{maleae-stub