Some shrubs delight us with one big burst of colour during the year. Rhododendrons, for example, and buddleias. But pyracanthas deliver a blizzard of summer flowers, their berries are dependably dazzling, plus they have three other important, but less obvious, features. In June, the flat heads of small white flowers cover the plants, shown off well by the rich, dark evergreen foliage. By September, and continuing through into the winter, the flowerheads have matured into clusters of scarlet, orange or yellow berries which, on a thriving plant, seem to drip from the branches like jewels.
Not only do the berries shine in the low winter light but blackbirds, thrushes and fieldfares love them. Pyracanthas are also attractive to birds for their dense evergreen foliage and branching structure, which, especially when…
