Pyracantha koidzumii
The Formosa firethorn is endemic to Taiwan and is mainly found along the banks of low elevation streams in the east. It was originally quite abundant, but with the rise of bonsai cultivation in Taiwan and the gradual development of low elevation riverbed areas, it is now difficult to find in the wild. The height of a potted Formosa firethorn is usually around 1 meter, but unpruned plants can actually grow up to 3 meters, and there are large trees more than a story tall next to the Xitun Road Plaza in the museum and in the Taitung Cycads Area of the Botanical Garden.
The genus name Pyracantha was derived from the Greek words pyr (fire) and akantha (stem thorns), which refers to the reddish fire-like fruits and thorny stems of this genus. The species name koidzumii was derived from the surname Koidzumi in recognition of the contributions of the Japanese botanist Koidzumi Genechi (1883-1953). In the flower markets and the bonsai world, the plants of the genus Pyracantha is collectively known as the “top scorer red,” and many of the “top scorer red” on the Taiwan market are either Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li or Pyracantha crenulata (D. Don) Roem., which are native to China. The Formosa firethorn is distinguished from them by its entire leaf, which is not serrated at the apex, and by the little concave tip of the leaf.
The Formosa firethorn blooms between spring and summer, and its small, elegant white flowers often fill the tops of the trees, providing a high ornamental value. The fruits ripen between December and January, and the bright red fruits are an excellent bird attractant, attracting birds from the neighboring mountains to the Taichung metropolitan area to feed on them during the winter.