Cotoneaster is a small, relatively open shrub with small, shiny green leaves that produces red berries. The fall color is a nice wine red and its berries persist well into the winter months. There are several varieties of cotoneaster, most of which are fast growing. The variety that we like best is Cranberry cotoneaster. It has small white flowers in the spring, followed by large red berries that begin to develop in the late summer. It is easier to maintain with regard to size than many other faster growing cotoneasters. This shrub generally grows to a mounded shape around 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide, but can be pruned to a smaller size if desired. We’ve been able to maintain a Cranberry cotoneaster as a low ground cover plant. We kept it low by pruning it (4 – 6 inches in height) and it trailed down over the top of a timber wall. Rock spray Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) has been another cotoneaster that has been popular. They display small lustrous green leaves; small bright red fruit in the late summer and fall; and like most cotoneaster, they have a nice red fall color. The branches shoot out horizontally and have a herring bone configuration.
When the ends of the branches touch the ground, they often form roots that pin the branch to the ground. Some of the more vigorous cotoneaster can rapidly spread and grow, therefore can become quite “weedy”. We recommend choosing some of the smaller growing and less vigorous cotoneaster for your landscape such as Hessei..
When the ends of the branches touch the ground, they often form roots that pin the branch to the ground. Some of the more vigorous cotoneaster can rapidly spread and grow, therefore can become quite “weedy”. We recommend choosing some of the smaller growing and less vigorous cotoneaster for your landscape such as Hessei..
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