firethorns

genus Pyracantha

Member of rose family (family Rosaceae)
dicots (class Magnoliopsida)
flowering plants (subphylum Angiospermae)

Except for extremely rare examples that I don't expect to encounter, there are no other wild species of this genus in the bay area.

---

taiwan firethorn
Pyracantha koidzumii

• leaves generally entire or with a few well-separated teeth toward tip
• leaves narrowly oblanceolate, tips generally truncate or ± notched
• sepals in fruit, young leaves ± glabrous or ± rusty- or yellow-brown-hairy abaxially
• fruit 4–7 mm wide, orange-red
• very rare

firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea

• leaf generally elliptic, ovate, or lanceolate, ± hairy abaxially, glabrous with age
• leaf serrate over much of margin; teeth small, many [not visible in photos?]
• leaf generally serrate to crenate over much of margin
• leaf tip generally acute
• fruit 5–8 mm wide, bright red
• very rare/waif

Toxicity:
except for thorns of firethorn, pyracantha (Pyracantha spp.):

---

1 observed taxon / 2 unobserved taxons / 1 key

Chris’s observations: 3 (none are research grade)

Locations:

• Edgewood Park & Natural Preserve
• Lake Chabot RP
• Waterdog Lake & Open Space

Months:

• Nov.: 2
• Dec.: 0
• Jan.: 0
• Feb.: 0
• Mar.: 1

For more details, use advanced search.

---

Taxon info: iNaturalist – Calflora – Jepson eFlora – FNA

Bay Area species: iNaturalist – Calflora