Help with pyracantha please

Hi all,

I think my pyracantha is dying but I don't know why or what I should be doing. It has been in the same container and location for a couple of years and it never looked particularly healthy (some flowers but never berries), this spring it was looking better with lots of small leaves and then disaster

The reason why it is in a container is that in the same spot there was a kind of topiary that died down (box blight?) and I didn't want to plant anything else there. I'd prefer to keep it in the container but i can put it in the ground if that saves its life!

Thank you

 

Hi,

We have have had a few Pyracantha over the years but always in the ground, not in pots.

Possibly its become too dry during last weeks hot and sunny times or some bug/disease has got into it ?

To be honest, if its a few years old, its a very poor looking plant , as they are generally quiet vigorous growers.

Equally , to us, its a poor choice for a specimen plant as it can grow so big and has such evil thorns, thats why its often used as a security hedge to stop intruders.
Its not a plant we would put in such an accessible location for fear of anyone cathing themselves on those thorns, they really get deep into the skin then break off.

With so many other more suitable plants to choose from, we would say remove it, discard the soil over some old ground and start afresh, an Acer is one of our favourites for a garden pot or if you want berries, one of the smaller Hollies.

How to plant an acer in a pot

 

I agree partly with Ricky101, yes its pot bound, and probably very dry, as there will be littlecsoilnto hold mousture or nutrients, so the plant is starving and wilting to death.
Options are, plant in a border, hope it stays alive until autumn and root prune, and repot in the same pot, re pot in a larger pot.
Where I dis agree, imo, pyracantha is a loverly plant when healthy, evergreen, blosson in spring, berries for the birds in autumn, if you keep in a pot, they are always better pruned and shaped like a Bonsai albeit larger, a stylised tree shape, with the branches like a spiral staircase, andvthe foilage on each branch shaped like clouds or pads, and being quite a flexible wood, pyrantha it can be wired into shape quite easily.

 

Thanks for the replies. The berries for the birds were one of the reasons for the pyracantha, I got two of them but the second is in the ground and doing much better. I'll try with fertiliser and more care before giving up on it.

 

I agree, its a thug and grows unruly, so doesn't lend itself to being a specimen plant. Great on a wall / fence, or as already said as a security hedge Its thorns mean any form of "maintenance" is likely to turn the air blue! and it you drop any bits you'll either curse when weeding nearby, or puncture a wheelbarrow tire.

I'd grow a Specimen of something there that would look more Wow.

 

Thanks Kristen, any suggestion on a WOW replacement?

 

My thought would be Topiary, or something with architectural leaves. Anything flowering (i.e. a Shrub) will have only a relatively short season of flowering interest. Can be dramatic though ... a contemporary had a Spring birthday and when she was born Father (definitely a non gardener!) went to Garden Centre, bought whatever was in flower and planted it in the grass circle in front of their house. On her 21st birthday that Magnolia was massive and looked absolutely stupendous So there is that ...

A lot of Japanese Acers will look good Solo. I like the Coral bark one Acer palmatum Sango-kaku. The branches usually grow "artistically" so look OK unclothed in Winter, but you could have an evergreen for year-round interest (probably as a Topiary shape of some sort).

Or pots ... run the changes season-to-season. A big Urn, similar, that you can put different things in. Annuals and Begonias etc. will happily flower all Summer long (unlike a Shrub), and the Bulbs for the Spring , and something for the Winter (a potted Topiary perhaps ...). Just keep them" round the back" when out-of-season

Or a Fountain / Statue? Definitely low maintenance ...