By Kerialways
Alabama,
United States 
I live in zone 7d (according to some site where I entered my zip code, 35967). We had 3 pyracantha plants growing up the side of our home to the second story for years, and I HATED them. Each Spring when I pruned them, I tried my best to cut them back too much, hoping they would die. Finally, my husband cut them down at the root ball, which seems to have killed them... Mostly. I still find sprouts coming up from the roots occasionally.
We want to plant something in their places, but want the replacement to meet certain requirements.
Evergreen
Minimal pruning
Tall (8-10 feet max)
NO THORNS!!!
Berries and/or flowers are fine.
They will be on the SE and NW sides of our house. The SE gets full sun until late afternoon and the NW gets full sun from noon until dark.
NE Alabama gets hot. Our winters are usually mild, but we have frost 3/4 of the real winter months.
If the pyracanthas had not had thorns, they would still be there. They're beautiful, but I hated pruning them and feeling the cuts and bruises for days afterwards. I also hated feeling the thorns poke through the soles of my shoes and watching the tires on the kids' bikes and lawn mower go flat. (yes, the thorns were that big.)
I've seen that there are some thornless varieties of pyracantha. I don't need an "almost-thornless" plant. I need NO THORNS.
Sorry for the shouting. I just feel very strongly about the dog-goned thorns.
TIA!
Keri
22 Feb, 2013
Answers
There was a conversation on here not long ago about an evergreen climbing hydrangea Hydrangea seemannii - hopefully someone who grows this will see and comment.
22 Feb, 2013
Cotoneaster lacteus is probably worth considering - copes well with pruning, will do in your climate, is evergreen, has flowers and berries, gets, eventually about 10 feet. A smaller one which makes good ground cover, but which, if planted against a wall, will 'climb' up the wall, but never reach 10 feet, is Cotoneaster 'Coral Beauty'.
I would, though, recommend you uncover the stumps of the pyracantha, drill into them and fill up the holes with a stump killer to ensure they don't grow again.
23 Feb, 2013
How about Eleagnus - you can get variegated forms, or a non-prickly Ilex (holly) - Ilex × altaclerensis 'Golden King'. I also have a beautiful shrub which will get bigger, or can be pruned. Its a chinese privet called Ligustrum lucidum 'Tricolor'. It has white panicles of flowers in summer, and is evergreen. As its name suggests, it has variegated leaves, the new one having pink edges. I highly recommend that one! :-)
22 Feb, 2013