Pyracantha Hedge

Hi guys, Someone in my neighborhood is getting their driveway done. They have 4 massive pyracanthas which they are getting rid of. I was just wondering if they can be saved at this time of the year?

Here are the pictures.

Regards,

They may do well depending upon how much root you get and their after care.

In the heat of summer (100 degrees F) I have done airlayers, and cuttings as large as 1.5 inches diameter and they rooted very fast and grew well enough to permit trimming and wiring the same season I took them.

The airlayer only took about 3-4 weeks to fill the bag with roots.

I'd say what have you got to lose. Go for it. They're doomed one way or other. May as well go for it!

Good luck!
Neil

That'll get the sweat flowing Faisal. Are they having a digger to do the drive.If so then you've got nothing to lose. Otherwise its just how much energy you have. They could well live ,but make sure you really want them before busting yourself. Maybe you go digging in your spare time and really love it . Got any room to put it .

Firethorns are (IMHO) I have some, are not great and being potted on or dug up. Having so said, nowt to loose here Smithy. You have seen my large specimen, and that started off the same.

Mike

I have a large one as well I dug this past winter and it is doing great. One of the biggest trunks I have personally seen on one approx 5-5 1/2in in diameter.

Hi All, when I collected these stumps a few months ago, I thought they were Pyracantha. But now when they're full of leaves, looks like I was mistaken.
Could any of you tell by looking at the pictures what exactly is it? Pyracanthas have rounded tips where as these are pointed.

Regards,

Faisal

Faisal, what size are these leaves? Are they waxy to the touch? Any scent off them or signs of flowers/berries?

Hello Faisal,

It's true that these seem to be a bit too pointed for pyracanthas, but I've just been out in my garden to check, and the new leaves of a couple I pruned late in the season have new leaves that are much more pointed than the older leaves on the branches I didn't prune, although they are not as pointed as the ones in your pictures.

There are also several cultivars, and some might have more slender and pointed new shoots.

So all in all, judging from the bark too, I'd say they are pyracanthas. I suppose it's because you've pruned the trees back drastically, and the new shoots on any tree, especially when they've been pruned drastically, look somewhat different than the leaves on a "mature" branch.

Hi Fiona, Just went out to check and because the leaves are only new there is no wax on the leaves. Size wise, they they're same as Pyracantha. Can't recognise the scent though. And no, theres no sign of flowers or berries yet.

Except for the rounded and pointed tip, it looks exactly as pyracantha leaves.

Regds.

Hi Alain, I guess you are right. Like I said, except for the tips, everything else is exactly like pyracantha. May be it's a different variety. Will have to wait till it flowers and produces berries.

Thanks for your reply.

Regds.

Do you have spines?

Hi Jim, Yes. there is spines.

I have no idea when it comes to identifying a tree, but I think there are some signs of likeness to my Blackthorn. Same type of thorns which comes, and the shape on the new leaves. Just an idea. To me, the names you have said could be much of the same.

Thanks, Storm but its definitely not blackthorn. I have a couple of them and they're completely different. Plus the trunk / branches of blackthorn are quite dark/blackish.

Thanks anyway.

Cheers.

Okay then, atleast its ruled out.

Hi Faisal. I've just been given permission to collect half a dozen Pyracantha (yellow & orange berried varieties) from land left after an old folk's home was recently demolished. The biggest has a trunk dia of approx 6ins at soil level. No idea what the nebari look like as yet. Now it's just a case of waiting nervously for Autumn to set in and hoping that some arse in a JCB doesn't decide to park on top of them.

Jeeez. The Riders back in town. Where you been? You should be safe lifting the Pyracantha's in the next couple of weeks as growth should have stopped. You didn't frighten the old people too much then?

Hi Faisal,
I rescued seven old pyracanthas from a shopping center approx one month ago, during a very hot spell; I was there approx 45 minutes after they were dug out with a backhoe. Mostly bare root; little soil still on the roots but not much. I put them in my car, parked in the shade with no access to water, went back to work for two hours, then drove 45 minutes home. As luck would have it, the root balls of these fit in 5 gallon buckets. I soaked them for two days in the buckets with Superthrive. I planted six, and put one in a large nursery container. I sprayed anti-desicant on the leaves after planting/potting. I water them with about a gallon of water each daily, sometimes twice daily in the firt two weeks. The six in the ground are doing very well, minor leaf loss, but all are putting out new growth at the tips and some shoots along the trunk base. The one potted tree is not doing well and is struggling in "sick bay". At the time, I felt the odds were against me, but I think the hot weather slowed down their growth and by some miracle, they did not dry out. I also think spraying the leaves with anti-desicant helped as well. Go for it!!!
Salut, Todd

Hi,

Just an update on 4 firethorns I collected last year in September. Did some light pruning and cleaning today.
To me they look good but then that could be because they're my trees collected by myself :-)
I'd like know what more experienced people on the forum think of these clumps.

I'd much appreciate any comments / suggestions to improve on them.

Regards,

Faisal

Hello Faz. I like the second one on the round black pot. It has an interesting nebari on the left. The root poking out of the soil on the right would make for some interesting carving. The others don't do anything for me though.

Thanks, Will,

I think it's a bit too early to work on them anyway. I'll wait for another year and then decide which ones are worth keeping.

I like your new Avatar :-)

Cheers.

Yes another year would do them good, although Pyracantha do root extremely quickly.

Hi, Faisal,
I saw that you'd posted one of these trees in another forum and had done some carving with the help of William Baddeley. I was wondering what you've used to preserve the deadwood and how permanent the deadwood can be with this species. I collected a large Pyracantha this spring that already has a considerable amount of deadwood as the result of a previous trunk chop someone had done. Consequently, some of the deadwood is quite "punky" in spots and would like to take efforts to preserve it now so it isn't likely to rot away before I even get a chance to style it.

BTW, you have posted some very impressive trees recently and I've enjoyed viewing your threads.

Hi misfit (sorry i don't know your name),

I'm glad you like my trees. Most of my trees are collected from peoples driveways and back gardens. Sometimes they're really nice ones.
Regarding wood hardener for my pyracantha, I haven't used anything for now. Maybe in the future I will need some. Regarding wood hardeners, I think Will Baddeley is the best person to help you. I'm sure he will respond to your post.

I would love to see your Pyracantha.

Good luck with your tree.

Regards,

Faisal

Hello Misfit. As the deadwood was sappy or green in places, it was only rough carved at this point. It is very difficult to refine green wood so it is left to harden off for a while. Once all the detail has been added (or rather taken away), it will then be treated.
What does "punky" mean?

Heres a link to the first stage of carving. http://europeanbonsai.freeforums.org/faisals-pyracantha-t7.html