Cotoneaster

Fundamental Facts

HARDINESS: Zones 4 to 8
PREFERRED SOIL pH: Adaptable
PREFERRED SOIL TYPE: Average, well-drained
PREFERRED LIGHT: Sun
ATTRIBUTES: Spreading semi-evergreen plants with four-season interest; for groundcover
SEASON OF INTEREST: Spring through winter
FAVORITES: C. dammeri, C. adpressus, C. horizontalis, C. apiculatus
QUIRKS: Grows wider than it is tall
GOOD NEIGHBORS: Best grown in masses
WHERE IT GROWS BEST: Slopes and other well-drained spots
POTENTIAL PROBLEMS: Spider miles
PRUNING: Rarely needed; prune overgrown plants hard in winter or early spring
CRITTER RESISTANCE: Good
SOURCE: Nursery plants
DIMENSIONS: Groundcover species to 3 ft (1 m) tall and 6 ft (1.8 m) wide

Cotoneaster in the Landscape

If you have a dry, sloping, or otherwise difficult spot in sun, there is a cotoneaster to cover it. These sprawling shrubs come in various sizes and shapes, from large fountain-shaped bushes to groundcovers. Most provide interest over several seasons, with tiny white or pink flowers in spring, dense foliage in summer, bright leaf color in fall, and berries that last into winter. Where winters are mild, some species
are reliably evergreen. All cotoneasters have small leaves and leggy branches. They are best grown in masses of three or more, so that they form a thicket of stems and foliage. Feel free to plant them in awkward, hard-to-reach places, as cotoneasters require no pruning and are drought tolerant once established.

All in the Family

Tough cotoneasters can survive winter cold, although heat tolerance varies with the species. For a quick cover in Zones 4 to 8, bear berry cotoneaster (Cotoneaster dammeri) grows less than 3 ft (1 m) tall and grows up to 6 ft (1.8 m) wide. Closer to the ground, creeping cotoneaster (C. adpressus) is a fine-textured groundcover in Zones 4 to 7. Plants grow 12-18 in (30.5^5.7 cm) tall, yet spread up to 6 ft (1.8 m) wide. Easily distinguished by its stiff, angular branches, 2 ft (0.6 m) tall rockspray cotoneaster (C. horizontalis) can be trained to grow on walls or allowed to spill over rocky slopes in Zones 5 to 7. At 3 ft (1 m) in height, cranberry cotoneaster (C. apiculatus) grows in similar terrain and produces abundant, vibrant red berries.

Growing Cotoneaster

Cotoneasters transplant best when set out in spring. Space plants almost as far apart as they are expected to spread and apply mulch between them to suppress weeds for two full seasons, the usual time it takes for plants to grow into a tight mat. On slopes, spread landscaping fabric over the site, cut holes in it for each plant, and cover the fabric around the plants with a thick blanket of mulch.

Fertilize established cotoneasters growing in poor soil with a balanced controlled-release fertilizer in spring. The plants need little other care. Pruning is done only to rejuvenate overgrown plantings. Sheared back to 2 in (5.1 cm) stubs in late winter, elderly cotoneasters will rebound with vigorous new growth in a single season.
Sap-sucking spider mites occasionally make leaves appear pale. Knock pests off plants with a strong stream of water from a hose or apply insecticidal soap as directed on the label.