States
North CarolinaTennesseeGeorgiaSouth CarolinaKentuckyAlabamaArkansasFloridaLouisianaMississippiVirginiaWest Virginia
Menu

Scarlet Firethorn

Pyracantha coccinea

Found in planted, persistent around old homesites, and rarely escaped to woodlands. Weakley, Flora of the Southeastern United States (2025), South Central edition What its natural habitat tells you

—
Not native

Not native to Mississippi. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 82%

Height
6–18 feet
Spread
8–18 feet
Light
Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture
Somewhat dry to moist
See native alternatives

Plant this instead

Choose your county to list local plants first.

  • Sparkleberry
    Vaccinium arboreum

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: White.

    Similar height, evergreen or deciduous, flower color

  • Chickasaw Plum
    Prunus angustifolia

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: White.

    Similar height, spread, bloom season

  • Northern Highbush Blueberry
    Vaccinium corymbosum

    Sun: Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Pink or white.

    Similar growth form, height, bloom season

Refine these alternatives in the finder

Check a whole list of plants

At a glance

Life cycle
Woody perennial
Leaves
Semi-evergreen or evergreen
Bloom
March to May
Fruiting season
August to January

Recorded in 5 Mississippi counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

14CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including MS

Genus host records with ranges including MS · Pyracantha

  • Acrobasis indigenellaLeaf Crumpler
  • Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
  • Antaeotricha leucillanaWell-Marked Leaf Tier, Pale Gray Bird-Dropping Moth
  • Automeris ioIo Moth
  • Coelodasys unicornisUnicorn Caterpillar Moth
  • Cryptothelea gloveriiOrange Bagworm
  • Grapholita packardiCherry Fruit Worm
  • Megalopyge opercularisSouthern Flannel Moth, Puss Caterpillar
  • Oedemasia concinnaRed-Humped Caterpillar, Red-Humped Appleworm
  • Oiketicus abbotiiAbbot's Bagworm Moth
Show all 14
  • Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
  • Schizura ipomaeaeMorning-Glory Prominent, Checkered-Fringe Prominent
  • Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
  • Zale lunataLunate Zale
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Rosaceae
Hardiness
Zones 6a–9b
Soil pH
Acidic to neutral
Flower color
White
Growth rate
Rapid
Growth habit
Single crown
Foliage color
Green
Fruit begins
August
Fruit ends
January

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Conservation status

Mississippi rankSNA
Global rankGNR
MS statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

Sources