Pyracantha bonsai in shallow bowl - orange berries

Presentation

Pyracantha coccinea is a thorny evergreen shrub that bears clusters of orange berries from autumn into winter and white flowers in spring. Here it is grown in a white shallow bowl 20 cm across, with a compact crown and an overall height of 35-40 cm. A good choice as a living wedding favour, corporate gift or simply for anyone looking for an outdoor bonsai that changes its appearance through the year.

Technical details

• Species: Pyracantha coccinea (firethorn)
• Plant height: about 35-40 cm
• Pot: round shallow bowl, 20 cm diameter, 7 cm high
• Pot material: white ceramic
• Soil covering: volcanic lapilli
• Position: outdoors, full sun or bright partial shade
• Care level: easy, suitable for beginners too

How to care for it

Keep it outside all year round: this is a hardy species that tolerates cold well, and without plenty of direct light it flowers poorly and sets very few berries. In summer a bowl only 7 cm deep dries out quickly, so check it daily and water as soon as the surface of the substrate feels dry; in winter watering is much less frequent, but the root ball must never stay dry for long.

For more on growing this species, see the full botanical care sheet.

Frequently asked questions

Will I receive exactly the plant in the photograph?

No. As this is a wedding favour produced in batches, the picture is a reference image: it shows a typical specimen. The plant shipped belongs to the same species and style, comes in the same white 20 cm bowl and has very similar measurements, but the branching varies from one plant to the next. If you are wondering what plant this is, it is firethorn, also sold under the botanical name Pyracantha coccinea.

Will the orange berries be there on delivery?

The berries form and colour up between autumn and winter, while in spring they give way to the white blossom. If you order outside the fruiting season the plant arrives green or in flower rather than laden with berries: that is simply Pyracantha's natural seasonal cycle.

Can I keep it indoors as a table favour?

During the reception it can stay inside for a few hours without any problem, but its proper home is outdoors: balcony, terrace or garden. After the event move it back outside, otherwise it loses vigour and will produce neither flowers nor berries the following year.

What is included

• Pyracantha coccinea bonsai in a white ceramic shallow bowl 20 x 7 cm, a specimen of the same variety and size as the one pictured
• Botanical care sheet with growing instructions
• Reinforced packaging designed to protect the plant in transit