Has my pyracantha had its day?
West Sussex,
United Kingdom 
My pyracantha used to be a picture--masses of blossom followed by masses of berries. For the last few years it has been very mediocre and this year had hardly any bloom. Its situation is rather shaded now because other shrubs have crowded it in a bit. It is about 20 years old, a strong plant with healthy leaves. Is there anything I can do to help it or is it time to get a new one?
14 Jul, 2009
Answers
Yes, my Pyracantha (growing in shade til late afternoon) is also very bad this year. I'm going to cut it right back to about a foot and let it start again (or if it dies...I have a planting opportunity!)
15 Jul, 2009
Thank you for these replies. I think it probably is the shade then, but will cut it back hard and also the adjacent shrubs and give it one more chance!
16 Jul, 2009
Previous question
If its now in a shaded position, it's probably that causing the problem - they don't do so well in very shady spots. You can prune it hard and see if that helps, but really, if shade is the issue and you can't increase its light, then a pyracantha in that spot is probably not a good idea.
15 Jul, 2009