General:
Medium to tall shrub, 1.5-6 m tall; stems much-branched, with leafy thorns, the young growth grey-hairy.
Leaves:
Alternate, evergreen, lanceolate to narrowly elliptic, 2-5 cm long, finely blunt-toothed, smooth or sometimes sparsely hairy beneath when young.
Flowers:
Inflorescence a small cluster, at the end of a lateral branchlet, of several to many, hairy-stalked flowers; corollas white, saucer-shaped, 7-8 mm across, the petals 5; calyces 5-lobed; ovaries inferior.
Fruits:
Berry-like pomes (like miniature apples), nearly globe-shaped, bright orange-red, 5-6 mm wide; stones (nutlets) 5.
If more than one illustration is available for a species (e.g., separate illustrations were provided for two subspecies) then links to the separate images will be provided below. Note that individual subspecies or varietal illustrations are not always available.
Illustration Source: The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Flower Colour:
White
Blooming Period:
Late Spring
Fruit/Seed characteristics:
Colour: Orange
Present from Summer to Fall
Source: The USDA
Synonyms and Alternate Names:
Cotoneaster pyracantha (L.) Spach