Woo-hoo, we made it to the end of the week! It’s Flower Friday again, hosted by our fur-iends over at LLB in our Backyard. Not much is left blooming these days but we did manage to see a spectacular specimen when we visited West Pines earlier this week. Pyracantha is a large, broadleaf evergreen shrub sometimes known as Firethorn because of its many thorns found on the branches and at the end of the leaf clusters. With narrow, deep green leaves in summer, they become tinged with burgundy in the winter.
Clusters of single, white flowers appear in late spring on the previous year’s wood but it is the pea-sized berries that make this plant exceptionally striking during this time of year. The berries last well into winter for beautiful garden interest. It thrives best in full sun but can tolerate some shade. Pyracantha is a waterwise plant that does well in Colorado’s dry climate. You won’t want to plant this baby any where near where baseball could be played as they tend to swallow up balls with absolutely no mercy, due to its extremely dense, thorny nature (note those thorns in the bottom right corner-um, no thank you to any playing near that hedge!).
Pyracantha makes for a nice backdrop though for a certain knucklehead posing while waiting to visit West Pines patients and staff. Never mind that frou frou collar. We were trying to be festive for patients but everyone thought he was sweet like candy-corn. #costumefail Hopefully we’ll find a better costume for Saturday’s Pet Parade for the therapy dogs. Sam’s not much for dressing up as you may have surmised from his pose, which seems to be channeling, “Seriously mom, don’t take a photo with THIS stupid collar on-the other dogs will make fun of me” look.
Wishing you a wagnificent weekend.
Live, love, bark! 🐾
The berries are beautiful but if a plant or flower has sharp thorns, I know I will be bleeding before I walk away from it. Plants love to attack me. LOL!
These plants attack everyone!
To the sugary spice and the cinnamon nice of autumn, where the dog days are all about . . the dogs! And the lush scenery that makes fall my (still) favorite time of the year.
You silver tongued devil, you. Such lovely prose.
Flattery will get you a smiley face! 🙂
We like smileys.😊
🙂
Beautiful back drop and lovely collar.
We try to avoid thorny plants but they do look pretty
hugs
Hazel & Mabel
Yes, this is not a friendly plant, but it sure is beautiful.
I LOVE pyracantha and I haven’t seen it in so long. Thank you! I guess it’s a plant that tolerates cold better than heat since I haven’t seen it since we’ve been boating south of the Mason Dixon line.
Honey is glad to know that Sam doesn’t like wearing clothes anymore than she does. Especially this time of year, it seems like everyone is dressing up their dogs. And Honey just doesn’t go for it. I don’t think she would have been as easy-going as Sam with the ruff.
Luckily he enjoys bandanas, otherwise there might have been a whole lot of head shaking going on. Honey is too pretty to have to compete with some silly costume.
As for the pyracantha, I’m thinking you are pretty spot on. It’s something that thrives in dry, hot conditions. Humidity must not be friendly toward it.
Sam, I feel your pain.
The things we do for our humans but it does make them so very happy.
💜 nose nudges 💜
And that’s what us dogs are all about.
Your fur-iend,
Sam 🐾
Nice collar, Sam. Don’t pay any attention to all the abuse that comes your way. Blame it on Mom.
Sam – you are amazing!!!! A therapy dog and so handsome too! I love your fall berries and colors.
That tree is similiar to the MountaIN Ash with it’s orange berries. Sam you look adorable.
Jean
Always loved Mountain Ash trees. Yes, they are very similar in appearance, just without thorns.
You are such a good sport, Sam! We have a rosebush in our front garden that Bear’s been known to hide under when he doesn’t want to come back inside. But Momma just can’t bring herself to even go there.
That is a beautiful bush, and Sam looks great in front of it.
We wish you all a very fine weekend too.
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Oh my, Sam is too cute in his fancy collar! Wish I could reach through the screen and give him a pet!
You look very festive in front of the fall foliage Sam!!
xoxo,
Rosy, Jakey & Arty
those photos are wonderful and what a good sport Sam is!
Aw, but Sam, you look so sweet!! 🙂
Those thorns are no joke. Only a bird can fly safely into them to eat. Sam is so cute, love the collar.
Milo met his match last night, a black lab girl one year old, and she tired him out! I’ve never seen a dog wear him out! They both ran like banshees in the dark, on someone’s patch of grass, with abandon. They never met before but acted like old friends! I wonder how Elsa would look all dressed up in that frill?
Yeah, those thorns are deadly. Elsa is less enthusiastic than Sam with anything beyond a bandana but like her brother is a decent sport abou it. Glad to hear Milo had a good time zooming around with a new friend.
Is this the bush that birds eat the fermenting berries and get drunk?
From what I gather, I think it is. 😇
Gotta love bushes that have berries… though those thorns are nasty looking!
As for Sam… He’s a good sport for tolerating such whimsy from Mom…
He is a good sport for tolerating that collar though I think with all the attention he received, it wasn’t bad at all. 😉 To look at Pyracantha are an awe-inspiring plant in the garden…from a distance. A l–o–n–g distance. 😆
Seriously l-o-n-g!
Sorry but I’m gonna have to side with Sam on the frou frou collar. 🤭. How about a steel studded collar next time to balance things out?
I agree, but Sam worked it to his advantage and didn’t suffer. Too much. 😆
Oh, poor Sam! Mom, how could you?! You should have left the frou-frou collar home for the Ninja. Oh well, he’ll get over it if he’s not already. 😂💗
The Ninja thinks stuff like that is a food group. 😊Sam’s a good sport and it did garner him loads of attention that made it palatable.
Great color, I usually just see the red holly berries around here. Sam, that kinda looks like a clown collar…just sayin’.
It does which makes it pawfect for him. A master clown!
I’ve never seen that plant before. If it eats baseballs I think I’ll pass.
Sam doesn’t look happy with that collar. I’m with him. It’s cute though.
Have a fabulous day and weekend. ♥
Sam likes his bandanas but that’s about it when it comes to ‘dress-up.’ Pyracantha is very pretty, but deadly. Those thorns are lethal. The birds like the berries though. Have a super weekend!
🙂
This one could be deer resistant. Just saying.
We had a lot of Pyracantha where I grew up. The Robins would get drunk on the berries every fall and create quite a drunken mess around the bushes, fly into the kitchen windows, and raise a ruckus as they gorged themselves! Thanks for conjuring up my childhood with your post and photo! (PS Sam looks cute, can’t even imagine if I put that on one of the brown clowns!)
I’ve always been a bit terrified of plants like Pyracantha, as kids we were always outdoors playing ball, hide-n-seek, stuff like that. Those kinds of plants apparently did not like noisy children. Aw come on, you don’t think Axel would like a fluffy collar like that? BOL
Sam you are an art piece, your fur is the best eyecatcher for all fall colors… have a fantabulous weekend ;O)