How to Propagate Pyracantha (Firethorn)

While out of town this past weekend at my in-laws home I took the opportunity to take more cuttings from their pyracantha (Pyracantha augustifolia). It is a favorite of shrub for birds due to its bright orange berries and is has an appropriately named common name: Firethorn.

pyracanthus - orange berries

Firethorn’s thorns are quite sharp and offer the plant good protection from would be herbaceous plant munchers, like deer and rabbits, not to mention plant propagators! It is a challenge to take cuttings from but if you’re careful you can get by with minimal or if you’re really lucky no damage. Pyracantha would make a great plant for security reasons around windows as would roses and hollies. It is also commonly trained into espalier.

Last year I managed to root two cuttings of Firethorn but sadly they died over the winter as I made the mistake of leaving them unprotected outside. I thought they were hardened off enough but apparently I was wrong. Live and learn, or die and learn I guess! I’ll keep these cuttings in the garage greenhouse until the spring freezes have finished.

The thorns of pyracanthus help to make it an excellent choice for security reasons!

How to Propagate Pyracantha

Here’s what I did. I cut several 12-16 inch branches off the main pyracantha plant. Each of the branches had several variations in ripeness. The base was nearly hardwood while the tip was soft greenwood and the middle was…well…somewhere in between!

Each branch was then divided into three to four sections for cuttings about 5-6 inches long. The pyrcantha cuttings should each root a little differently since they are all at different stages of ripeness. I stripped the cuttings of most of the leaves and thorns then dipped them in rooting hormone and stuck them in the sand. (To handle them easier you may want to trim off the thorns, not necessary but it might save you a few injuries!)

I used a cheap plastic container that was about 6 inches square to hold the cuttings. I ended up with 14 cuttings in the small container. There’s proof that you can do a large amount of cuttings in a small space! I don’t really need fourteen pyracantha cuttings but since I was pruning some of the outer branches out of a walkway it was either root them or toss them. I hope you’re not surprised which choice I made. Besides it is unlikely that all the cuttings will root but wouldn’t it be fun if they did!

For more plant propagation information check out this post.

Hydrangea Propagation (Natural Layering)

Hydrangeas are fantastic garden plants! The flowers are beautiful but even when not in bloom hydrangeas can be a well formed shrub in the garden. Yesterday while walking through the garden I found a hydrangea that had rooted itself on the ground. This is called…

Read More

How to EASILY Propagate Switchgrass through Division

Ornamental grasses are some of the easiest plants to propagate and they look so good in the garden. Today I potted up seven rooted sections of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum). Four of them were ‘Shenandoah’ which gains a reddish coloring in the leaves in late summer…

Read More

How to Propagate Crape Myrtles: Step by Step

This weekend I picked up some cuttings of a red flowering crape myrtle to propagate. I took 6 inch hardwood cuttings that were just beginning to leaf out. Since I didn’t have time to treat them right away I left them in a jar of…

Read More

Rooting Heuchera through Cuttings

You know how I am, if I grow it I see if I can root it! The challenge this time was to root a heuchera from a leaf cutting. It isn’t difficult if you take from the right part of the plant. Just taking a…

Read More

Coral Red Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens)

Coral Red honeysuckle or Lonicera sempervirens is the honeysuckle you want – I mean really want- not the other kind. You probably have honeysuckle somewhere near you right now. It’s white, smells pretty good, and it may even be right behind you as you read…

Read More

How to Propagate ‘Limelight’ and other Panicle Hydrangeas

Panicle hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) are garden favorites for many gardeners because of their showy cone-shaped blooms, cold hardiness, and easy-care nature. Whether you’re nurturing one plant or dreaming of a whole hedge, learning to propagate panicle hydrangeas can be both rewarding and cost-effective. I purchased…

Read More

Discover more from Growing The Home Garden

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

12 thoughts on “How to Propagate Pyracantha (Firethorn)”

  1. I wish I could grow them in northern Illinois. I had one in Alabama and really liked it.

    When I lived in Huntsville, there was a several year-long series of breaking and entering. I used to hear people talk about planting these under easily accessible windows to discourage that type of thing;)

  2. We have a scraggly one that the Saint and I keep fighting over. He wants to cut it down and I say leave it alone, it is not hurting a thing where it is located. He says it hits him when he mows. Funny thing is he only mows that area about 2 times a year so what does he care. Plus he gets worse scratches from our cats and he does not throw them into the compost pile! lol… So far, I have won this battle… hee hee…

  3. Beautiful plant Dave. I wish you good luck with these cuttings. I think the berries make the plant & I think they are food for birds. I saw one in N.C. that had grown to the top of their house encompassing their chimney. Boy, was it ever so pretty when the berries were on it. It seems to be pretty cold hardy. I would like to have one but the thorns & kids don't mix. Not my GGGsons anyway.

  4. I cried when I left my pyracantha behind. I had worked and trained that baby to climb up and across my entryway. I placed it far enough from the steps so no one would get hurt. The berries were stunning in the fall and winter. It attracted birds like crazy. I sure miss it. This is a great post!

    I like how blogs are showing up in your sidebar!

  5. Great write up, Pyracantha is one of my favourite shrubs and look brilliant in winter when in berry. You can make a jelly out of the berries as well but be sure to use the red berries as they seem to taste the best.

  6. Was wondering if this could be propagated. I have one in my backyard that is 26 yrs old and is magnificent. Birds love the berries as much as they do the blossoms in spring I. have to have it trimmed every other year because the gardeners refuse to cut the grass under it. It has grown from a 6 inch seedling to a 10 ft. tree that spreads almost 15 feet across.

Comments are closed.

Discover more from Growing The Home Garden

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading