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Broad-leaf firethorn (Pyracantha fortuneana)

This thorny shrub is widespread but scattered and localised in south-eastern Australia, where it invades bushland and other habitats. Dense thickets can displace native plants, restrict access and affect regeneration.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: South-western China.

Established in: NSW, ACT, VIC, SA.

Other names: Chinese firethorn, Red Pyracantha, Firethorn, Pyracantha.

Best time to act: Look for flowers in spring and summer, and treat larger plants with drill-and-fill or cut-and-swab methods in spring or summer before fruit develops.

Identification

  • An evergreen, erect shrub that grows to about 3–4 m tall, with short spines on its lateral branchlets.
  • Its glossy, dark-green leaves are usually 2.5–6 cm long and 1–2 cm wide, with finely serrated margins and rounded to slightly indented tips.
  • Small white flowers grow in loose clusters about 3–4 cm across.
  • The rounded, slightly flattened fruit are orange-red to dark red and about 6–8 mm across.
  • Look-alike: Orange firethorn (Pyracantha angustifolia) has narrower leaves with entire margins and white-hairy undersides, and yellow to deep-orange fruit.
  • Look-alike: Scarlet firethorn (Pyracantha coccinea) has pointed leaf tips, unlike the rounded to slightly indented tips of broad-leaf firethorn.

Where it grows

In south-eastern Australia it occurs in open woodlands, forests, urban bushland, grasslands and riparian areas, especially in sub-coastal regions.

Why it matters

  • Dense thickets shade out native shrubs and other low-growing plants and can alter bushland composition.
  • Thorny growth can restrict access for people and animals, and may impede the growth and regeneration of overstorey plants.
  • It may affect the seed bank and the regeneration of original vegetation after removal.
  • It does not invade crops or pastures, but is a potential host for bacterial fire blight, a serious pest of apples and pears; its sharp thorns can also cause injuries.

How it spreads

  • Birds commonly disperse seeds after eating the fruit; flowing water and animals such as foxes and other small mammals can also spread them.
  • Dumped garden waste can spread the seeds.
  • A mature bush can produce about one million seeds each year.

Control options

  • Hand-pull or dig out smaller plants and mulch the area to help prevent germination.
  • Target large areas to reduce reseeding by birds, and replant bare areas with dense ground cover to minimise seedling growth.
  • For larger plants, use registered herbicides with drill-and-fill or cut-and-swab methods; plants less than 2 m tall can be sprayed with selective or non-selective herbicides.
  • Grazing provides limited control, and burning will not kill plants because they normally resprout.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Avoid dumping garden waste where it could spread seeds, as dumped garden waste is a documented means of spread for this species.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1), prohibited. C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. It must not be brought into WA (prohibited organism).
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Not declared. Not on the NT A to Z weed list, and Weeds Australia does not list it as declared in the NT. Check the NT declared weeds list before moving or planting it.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Declared pest, prohibited. It is a declared pest throughout the ACT. Dealing with it, such as selling, moving or keeping it, is prohibited.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
  • Australian Capital Territory: Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT), administered by ACT Biosecurity
  • Victoria: Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994 (Vic), administered by Agriculture Victoria
  • South Australia: Landscape South Australia Act 2019 (SA), administered by the regional landscape board

Sources