HOW TO GROW PYRACANTHA 'Mohave'

How to grow Pyracantha 'Mohave' - ashwoodnurseries.com

Commonly known as the Firethorn (and for good reason), Pyracantha 'Mohave' is a popular garden wall shrub noted for its ornamental blooms and berries. First raised in the US National Arboretum, Washington in 1963, it is a hybrid between Pyracantha coccinea 'Wyatt' and Pyracantha koidzumii. It was given the cultivar name 'Mohave and release for general cultivation in May, 1970.

How to grow Pyracantha 'Mohave'

It is a dense, medium sized specimen which under favourable conditions can be expected to grow to between 4-5 metres. It has an evergreen to semi-evergreen habit with large, glossy deep-green foliage and spines on the leafy shoots. Masses of small white to creamy white blooms appear in clusters (corymbs) from early May-June. These are followed by glossy, long-lasting, bright orange-red berries. These will show from mid August onwards and ripen soon after development. The berries will remain on the plant over the winter unless picked of by birds.

Pyracantha 'Mohave' is a robust form and able to succeed in almost any landscape situation. It will be happy in both full sun and partial shade, but will flower and berry best in full sun. Plant in any fertile, well-drained soil, but it will perform best in well-drained, reliably moist soils with a pH of 6.0–6.5. It is not recommended to add organic matter or fertiliser to the planting hole. As Pyracantha 'Mohave' matures it will become increasingly drought tolerant. Avoid areas prone to prone to waterlogging.

How to grow Pyracantha 'Mohave'

When grown as a wall shrub, plant at least 50 cm out from the wall to avoid the dry area at the base. Be aware that Pyracanthas bloom on shoots produced the previous year. So when pruning retain as much of the two-year-old wood as possible. Shorten all side shoots that arise from the main framework of branches in late summer (do not the clusters of berries), as this will allow the following seasons berries to appear more visible.

Feed in late winter, with a balanced general purpose fertiliser followed by a thick mulch of well-rotted garden compost or farm manures. Avoid having the mulch touching the trunk to reduce the incidence of disease.

Unlike a number of the other forms of Pyracantha available, Pyracantha 'Mohave' has proven to be particularly resistant to both scab and fireblight.

Pyracantha 'Mohave' received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1984.

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HOW TO GROW PYRACANTHA 'Mohave'