Shrub · Rosaceae
Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster
Forgiving, drought-proof, and dressed in red berries through winter, cotoneaster is a kind plant to learn on.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 5–7
2–3 ft · 0.6–0.9 m
Overview
Cotoneaster is a hardy member of the rose family, loved for its arching branches, little leaves, and the red berries that stay put long after other plants have let their leaves go. You will find everything from flat groundcovers that drape over a slope to upright shrubs taller than you are, so there is almost always one that fits your spot. Come late spring it opens small white-to-pink flowers, and the bees adore them.
What wins most beginners over is how little it asks of you. It happily puts up with poor, rocky, and dry soil, takes cold all the way down to -20°F (-29°C), and once its roots have settled it hardly needs watering at all. That easygoing nature makes it a comforting choice for banks, hedges, and those tricky corners where pickier plants would only sulk.
It is not perfect, and that is okay. Cotoneaster is very prone to fire blight, and because birds carry the berries around, a few species have wandered out of gardens in mild regions. Keep those two things in mind and the plant will reward you with years of easy, cheerful color.
Care
The short version: offer full sun to part shade and any soil that drains, keep it watered through that first season while the roots settle, and after that a little shaping prune is all it really asks of you.
Light
Cotoneaster is happiest in full sun, where it blooms and fruits most generously, though it will also take partial shade and partial sun without grumbling. The more sun you can give it, the fuller and brighter the berry show.
Water
Give it a steady drink through that first growing season so the roots can settle in well. Once they have, it turns genuinely drought tolerant and asks for very little extra. The only thing it truly dislikes is sitting in wet, poorly drained ground.
Soil
Almost any well-drained soil will make it happy, and it copes cheerfully with clay, sand, and the poor or rocky ground that stops other shrubs cold. A pH between 6.0 and 7.5 is ideal. Soggy soil is its one real weakness, so good drainage matters far more than rich earth.
Temperature
This is a wonderfully cold-hardy shrub, content anywhere from about -20°F to 100°F (-29°C to 38°C). That broad comfort range covers so many climates, which is a big part of why gardeners everywhere come to rely on it.
Humidity
Plain outdoor air suits it perfectly, so there is no humidity number you need to chase. What does help is good airflow, since crowded, stuffy spots make fire blight and other leaf troubles more likely.
Feeding
These are tough shrubs that usually need little to no feeding in ordinary soil, so do not feel you must fuss over it. If growth ever looks tired, a balanced general-purpose fertilizer in early spring is plenty. Keep it light, because soft, lush new growth is exactly the sort fire blight loves.
Pruning
Happily, cotoneaster wants only minimal pruning. Tidy it after flowering or in late winter to shape it, take out anything dead or crossing, and keep its spread in check. If you ever spot fire-blighted wood, cut it out right away and wipe your tools between cuts so you do not carry trouble along.
Repotting
Cotoneaster is rarely repotted, and most plants spend their whole life happily in the ground. If yours lives in a container, simply move it up a size when you notice roots circling or peeking from the drainage holes, water rushing straight through, or growth slowing down.
Size & spacing
How big it gets depends on the kind, but this form reaches about 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) tall and stretches a generous 6 to 8 feet (183 to 244 cm) wide. Give it plenty of elbow room, because crowding cuts the airflow it needs and invites disease.
When to plant
Think of cotoneaster as a friend you plant once and keep for years, not a crop you race against the calendar. Set young plants out in spring or fall while the soil is easy to work, then enjoy the flowers in late spring and the red berries from late summer onward, lingering through fall and winter.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring or fall
- Harvest: Flowers in late spring; red berries ripen in late summer and persist into fall and winter
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 5–7
Temperature: down to -29°C
Troubleshooting
Most days cotoneaster will give you no trouble at all, so try not to worry. A few issues do appear now and then, and the good news is that catching them early is easy once you know where to look. Glance over the new shoots and the leaves, match what you see below, and you will handle it just fine.
Shoots blacken and curl into a shepherd's crook
What you are seeing is fire blight, a bacterial disease that cotoneaster catches all too easily and that kills fresh growth from the tip downward. The blackened shoots hook over and can ooze a little. Do not panic: cut well below the damage into clean wood, wipe your tools between cuts, and burn or bin the prunings instead of composting them.
Fix:
- Prune out infected branches well below visible damage (at least 20-30 cm into healthy wood)
- Disinfect pruning tools between every cut
- Remove and destroy all infected prunings; do not compost
- Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizing, which encourages susceptible succulent growth
Leaves go speckled and bronzed with dark specks beneath
Two small pests can leave leaves looking this way. Lace bugs drop shiny black flecks on the undersides, while spider mites turn up in hot, dry weather and spin fine webbing. A good hose-down knocks the mites back, and then a little insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on the undersides, repeated if they return, sets things right.
Fix:
- Hose down foliage to dislodge mites
- Apply insecticidal soap or horticultural oil to affected foliage, especially leaf undersides
- Repeat applications as needed during the season
Leaves bound in silk and chewed down to the veins
This is the cotoneaster webworm, whose caterpillars feed tucked safely inside the silk they spin among the branches. As soon as you spot the webbing, snip out and destroy those branch tips. While the larvae are still small, a treatment of Bacillus thuringiensis or another suitable insecticide gently brings them under control.
Fix:
- Prune out and destroy webbed branch tips
- Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or an appropriate insecticide while larvae are small
Toxicity
It helps to know up front that cotoneaster is best kept out of mouths. Every part of it, from the leaves to those cheerful berries, carries cyanogenic glycosides that let off small amounts of cyanide. A single stray berry usually means nothing worse than a queasy tummy, but a big helping can be truly risky, so gather up fallen fruit and gently steer pets, livestock, and little ones away.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Caution
A nibbled berry or leaf usually brings on a little drooling and a bout of vomiting in cats. Just keep a gentle eye out for a big mouthful, since a large helping can edge into cyanide territory with weakness and labored breathing.
Dogs Caution
Most dogs that snatch a few berries come away with only an upset stomach and some vomiting. The worry begins when one eats a large quantity, which can set off the same cyanide effects and is worth a call to your vet.
Horses Toxic
Because horses graze in bulk, they are more at risk here than smaller pets. Enough leaves or berries can release dangerous cyanide, showing as rapid breathing, staggering, and collapse, so it is kindest to keep them well clear of the shrub.
Rabbits Toxic
The cyanogenic compounds in the foliage and berries make cotoneaster a poor and risky choice for a rabbit. It is best not to offer any part of it, and to fence it off wherever rabbits like to roam.
Livestock Toxic
Cattle, sheep, and goats can browse enough greenery or fruit to release a harmful dose of cyanide. Watch for sudden distress, gasping, and weakness, and for everyone's peace of mind keep the plant out of their pasture and reach.
Birds Caution
Wild birds happily eat the ripe berries and spread the seed without any harm, yet caged pet birds are far smaller and much more sensitive. Keep cotoneaster away from companion birds, since even a little can be too much for them.
People Caution
No part of cotoneaster is food, and the berries only look inviting. A stray berry or two tends to cause mild stomach upset at most, but eating a real quantity can bring on cyanide symptoms, so do keep the fruit away from young children.
Keep fallen berries picked up and discourage pets and children from eating berries or chewing foliage.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
Cotoneaster comes in a lovely spread of shapes, from low mats that hug the ground to tall, arching shrubs. Here are the ones you are most likely to come across.
Cotoneaster horizontalis (Rockspray Cotoneaster)
A low, gentle spreader that stops around 2 to 3 feet tall yet runs 6 to 8 feet wide, settling its branches into the flat fishbone pattern that earned it its name.
Cotoneaster franchetii (Orange/Gray Cotoneaster)
An upright, mostly evergreen shrub that climbs to 6 to 10 feet and carries orange-red berries, though it does tend to slip out of gardens where winters stay mild.
Cotoneaster salicifolius (Willowleaf Cotoneaster)
A bigger, arching shrub you will know by its long, slender willow-like leaves and the heavy clusters of red berries it bears.
Cotoneaster dammeri (Bearberry Cotoneaster)
A flat-growing evergreen that roots as it creeps along the soil, which makes it a lovely, dependable pick for covering slopes and holding the ground in place.
How to propagate
There are three gentle ways to make more cotoneaster, and one of them happens all on its own. Pick whichever suits how soon you would like a new plant and how much you feel like doing.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Summer · Several weeks to root; one or more seasons to establish
Take semi-hardwood cuttings in summer and tuck them somewhere warm and humid to root. They will strike roots over several weeks, but be patient and plan on a season or more before a young plant feels truly at home.
SeedModerate
Fall · One or more seasons; seed needs stratification and germination is slow
The birds will gladly do most of this for you, eating the berries and scattering the seed far and wide. To try it yourself, sow in fall and give the seed a cold spell, since that stratification is what wakes it from dormancy. Go easy on yourself here, because germination is slow and a seedling needs a season or more to find its feet.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One season or more to root where stems touch the soil
This is the relaxed, hands-off route. The low, spreading branches root by themselves wherever they rest against moist soil, so from spring through summer you can simply pin a stem down and let it take hold over a season or more before snipping it free.
Myths
Cotoneaster berries are deadly, and a single one will seriously harm a pet.
Take a breath, because the berries are only mildly toxic. A cat or dog that nibbles a few usually ends up with nothing worse than a sour stomach, and it takes a real mouthful before the cyanide compounds climb to a dangerous level. The risk lives in the quantity, not in one little berry.
Cotoneaster is pest- and disease-free, so it never runs into serious trouble.
It truly has earned its easy name, but it is not untouchable, and that is fine to know. Cotoneaster is very prone to fire blight, and lace bugs, webworm, spider mites, leaf spot, and canker may each pay it a visit now and then.