Pyracantha/Firethorn - Twisted Trunk

ConorDash

ConorDash

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Essex, UK
USDA Zone
8b
A tree I bought from @jeremy_norbury , I loved it for its trunk, everything about it.

From what I know of Pyracantha, they grow long straight pole like branches, are slow to thicken and do not create taper well. They also do not ramify well.
So, sounds great for Bonsai!
This is the guy I now take care of:

DSC_0038 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0040 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0041 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
[Taken May 13th]

Flowers out:
DSC_0046 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
[Taken May 28th]

Berries are now forming and Im looking forward to getting some great pics of those.
I also hope to maybe narrow down a cultivar from the berry colours and leave shapes.
Unless you know @jeremy_norbury ? Not sure I ever asked specifically. Or perhaps it has none.

__________

My only steps for this are to keep healthy and happy. In autumn I will see if I can get a better look at the structure (they are evergreen so this might not get any easier), and see if I can divine a direction or pruning steps to take.
Defoliating of larger leaves in June, should help ramification. I can prune old wood in early Spring or late summer. For this season, I dont think I will touch till, I get a better idea of why I am touching it.

I like the challenge of getting more ramification and leaf reduction in an, apparently difficult to do both, species.

Comments, style wise, health, etc, always appreciated and encouraged. I am familiar with Pyracantha but by no means an expert.
Thank you
 
Very nice. I have a similar, but smaller one, with the twisting trunk, or perhaps they are roots, not sure. I repotted mine so cut all the flowers off to make sure it was happy. I will miss the berries, but there is always next year. I'll watch yours instead. You might do well to consider a semi cascade with this styling. Looks like it would be great movement continuing that arch.
 
JudyB said:
Very nice. I have a similar, but smaller one, with the twisting trunk, or perhaps they are roots, not sure. I repotted mine so cut all the flowers off to make sure it was happy. I will miss the berries, but there is always next year. I'll watch yours instead. You might do well to consider a semi cascade with this styling. Looks like it would be great movement continuing that arch.
Click to expand...

Interesting.. Would that mean replanting at a different angle to get the apex down closer to the ground? Or you mean build branches that go all the way down? Seems a difficult one, I didnt think initially of semi cascade for this.. can you continue your thought on it?

Yeah, this year I will just let it grow, get a feel for it. I have removed a few larger leaves, probably couldnt even call it a partial defoliation but removed maybe 8-12 leaves. INterested to see if that induces anything but probably not.
I wanna let it grow, then ill start cutting back when I have an idea of where to go. No use making any moves till I know where I am going with it.
Could maybe cut in half a few of the leaves in the middle, let the sun inside a bit to encourage inside budding.... interesting...
 
Lazylightningny said:
I got 3 this year that I'm working. I'll post some results some time in the future. So far, I like them a lot.

Yours is very nice. Best of luck with it.
Click to expand...

Cheers. Feel free to post any observations to share the knowledge..
For example, around March or April they start to yellow and drop old leaves (in my climate).
And they back bud around the area of a larger chop, but not far down, just very radially.
 
Cleaned up a bit, took off wire and cut back the long branch at its head. Wired down a few branchs, will cut back a few in the coming months.
Also wired 2 smaller ones around in to a better position. Removed a lot of large leaves, hopefully encourage more growth. Currently looking a little bare, because of that. It has a good bit of ramification and growth needed.

DSC_0261 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0260 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0259 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0258 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
 
Not an update on this yet, will when it has grow some more leaves.. I kept removing leaves as they were too big or yellow and left it a bit bare!

But I wanted to take a pic of the lovely flower buds, before I cut them all off....
DSC_0513 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0514 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0516 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr
DSC_0518 by Conor Dashwood, on Flickr

Was a pain just to cut of all them, I can't imagine cutting them off a ramified Pyra.. I wanted all the energy going towards branch development and leaf growth, hence my cutting off flowers.
 
ConorDash said:
Was a pain just to cut of all them, I can't imagine cutting them off a ramified Pyra.. I wanted all the energy going towards branch development and leaf growth, hence my cutting off flowers.
Click to expand...
Such a pity to not enjoy the flowers. :( All the energy you were worried about was already invested in making them be flowers instead of leaves. Cut them off when they fade, then carbohydrate won't be invested in making berries.
 
ConorDash said:
Interesting.. Would that mean replanting at a different angle to get the apex down closer to the ground? Or you mean build branches that go all the way down? Seems a difficult one, I didnt think initially of semi cascade for this.. can you continue your thought on it?

Yeah, this year I will just let it grow, get a feel for it. I have removed a few larger leaves, probably couldnt even call it a partial defoliation but removed maybe 8-12 leaves. INterested to see if that induces anything but probably not.
I wanna let it grow, then ill start cutting back when I have an idea of where to go. No use making any moves till I know where I am going with it.
Could maybe cut in half a few of the leaves in the middle, let the sun inside a bit to encourage inside budding.... interesting...
Click to expand...
I pluck 50% of leaves for reason you stated. And next time enjoy the lovely flowers.;)
 
0soyoung said:
Such a pity to not enjoy the flowers. :( All the energy you were worried about was already invested in making them be flowers instead of leaves. Cut them off when they fade, then carbohydrate won't be invested in making berries.
Click to expand...

Ah, so there is no point in cutting them off like I did.. It is upon flowers fading and before berries, I can save energy... OH well.... Ill still save that energy, just lose out on enjoying the flowers, no energy loss at least or detriment.
Thanks, Ill know for next time :)

Shima said:
I pluck 50% of leaves for reason you stated. And next time enjoy the lovely flowers.;)
Click to expand...

Something I was told by Harry Harrington, with pyra, to ramify, just keep plucking the large leaves... this tree just needs some more leaves at the moment, its a little too bare.
 
ConorDash said:
Ah, so there is no point in cutting them off like I did.. It is upon flowers fading and before berries, I can save energy... OH well.... Ill still save that energy, just lose out on enjoying the flowers, no energy loss at least or detriment.
Thanks, Ill know for next time :)
Click to expand...
You did get some nice pix of the flower buds, though!
 
Here's one I picked up last year. Once the foliage fills in, it should hide some of the flaws in the trunk. It was a big bushy sucker when I picked it up at Home Depot. It had two huge canes, straight as arrows and thick, on the right that I pruned off. Took the roots down to what you see now, bare rooted. It stalled for a month or two, but then started budding out nicely. I pruned it back again some more this spring, and this is where it's at so far. The trunk is not nearly as nice as yours, but it's coming along nicely.

It's hard to see in the photo, but I sawed the straight middle branch nearly all the way through, then bent it forward and stabilized it with the wire you see on the front. It didn't seem to bother it a bit.

20190602_123231.jpg
 
Just went out and took these quick and dirty shots between showers. Most of the flowers have gone to seed (much like me):rolleyes:P1030036.jpegP1030035.jpeg. Over the years it's lost most of the lower branches from pythium and phytophthora in this gloppy climate. Maybe I should have tried a mirror to reflect light up to them. Also, mildew rots some of the berries. An effective spray has been one that contains Mono-and di-potassium salts of Phosphorus Acid. But still, it's been a struggle. Pyracantha are prone to disease.
 
Shima said:
Just went out and took these quick and dirty shots between showers. Most of the flowers have gone to seed (much like me):rolleyes:View attachment 245542View attachment 245543. Over the years it's lost most of the lower branches from pythium and phytophthora in this gloppy climate. Maybe I should have tried a mirror to reflect light up to them. Also, mildew rots some of the berries. An effective spray has been one that contains Mono-and di-potassium salts of Phosphorus Acid. But still, it's been a struggle. Pyracantha are prone to disease.
Click to expand...

Oh I didn’t know they were prone. I do routinely spray mine. I’ve had 2 large parent trees in the garden for many years and they’ve always been fine so hopefully it’s an indicator of a good environment for them/climate.
I think pyra are well suited here in the U.K.
 
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