Welcome to Brixton Flower Club’s weekly flower spotting! Each month we will choose one road or area in Brixton, provide you with a weekly post on something beautiful that we spot and tell you a bit more about it. Thank you to all the local gardeners who work so hard to add some colour and nature to Brixton’s streets.
Location: Brixton Water Lane
Week 3: Pyracantha
Common name: Firethorn
This week we have firethorn. These bright berries start to appear in late autumn but, if you are lucky, keep appearing for the duration of winter
Firethorn is an evergreen shrub in the rose family. The berries can be red, orange or yellow and the plant also produces pretty white flowers in late spring.
Firethorn is great for attracting wildlife to a garden because the dense branching produces cover for nesting birds and the berries are a food source to some animals. The white flowers also provide nectar to bees at a critical point in the year when other nectar sources become scarce.
These are useful plants to have in a garden because they can tolerate shade or full sun and can be used in place of a hedge. Thank you Brixton Water Lane residents for providing me with a good selection of plants to write about this month!
