WildBristol.uk - Discovering Wildlife in Bristol

Widespread but occasional throughout the South but more scattered in the North. Habitat includes: hedgerows, woodland, scrub, road side verges, railway banks, Wasteland, walls, pavement cracks, quarries parks, gardens, allotments, churchyards from which they escape from cultivation via birds. Flowers: June. Growing habit: Evergreen. Height and spread: Up to 4.5 m. Lifespan: Up to 50 years. Other names include: Scarlet Firethorn, Red Firethorn. Has been cultivated since 1629 and recorded in the Wild by 1905. Native range: Southern Europe to Western Asia.