Shrub · Rosaceae
Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster
Tough, drought-proof, and blazing with red berries all winter, cotoneaster earns its keep and then some.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 5–7
2–3 ft · 0.6–0.9 m
Overview
Cotoneaster is a hardy shrub in the rose family that delivers on every front, with an arching shape, small leaves, and red berries that cling on long after other plants have dropped theirs. The forms sweep from flat groundcovers that spill down a slope to upright shrubs taller than a person, so there is one to fit almost any spot. Late spring fires off small white-to-pink flowers, and the bees pile in.
What really sells this shrub is how little it demands. It powers through poor, rocky, and dry soil, shrugs off cold down to -20°F (-29°C), and once the roots take hold it barely needs a drink. That toughness makes it a winner for banks, hedges, and those awkward corners where pickier plants throw in the towel.
It is not flawless, and that is worth knowing up front. Cotoneaster is very prone to fire blight, and with birds flinging the berries around, a few species have bolted out of gardens in mild regions. Get ahead of those two quirks and the plant rewards you with years of easy, knockout color.
Care
The short version: plant it in full sun to part shade on any soil that drains, water it through that first season to lock the roots in, and after that just give it a light prune to keep its shape.
Light
Cotoneaster thrives in full sun, where it flowers and fruits hardest, though it takes partial shade and partial sun in its stride. Want a knockout berry display? Pour on the sun and it delivers.
Water
Water it regularly through that first growing season so the roots dig in fast. After that it turns genuinely drought tolerant and asks for next to nothing. The one thing it flatly refuses is wet, poorly drained ground.
Soil
Just about any well-drained soil sends it, and it powers through clay, sand, and the poor or rocky ground that stops other shrubs dead. Aim for a pH between 6.0 and 7.5. Soggy soil is the real dealbreaker, so chase good drainage long before you worry about rich earth.
Temperature
This shrub takes the cold like a champ, holding strong from about -20°F to 100°F (-29°C to 38°C). That huge range covers loads of climates, which is exactly why it shows up in so many gardens.
Humidity
Plain outdoor air keeps it happy, so forget chasing any humidity number. What really counts is good airflow, since crowded, stuffy spots are where fire blight and other leaf troubles take off.
Feeding
These tough shrubs usually want little to no feeding in average soil, so you can skip the fuss. If growth looks weak, a balanced general-purpose fertilizer in early spring gives it the nudge it needs. Keep it light, though, because soft, lush growth is exactly what fire blight pounces on.
Pruning
Cotoneaster keeps it simple with minimal pruning. Shape it after flowering or in late winter, clip out dead or crossing branches, and rein in its spread. And the second you spot fire-blighted wood, cut it out, disinfecting your tools between every cut.
Repotting
Cotoneaster gets repotted rarely, since most plants spend their whole life out in the ground. For a container shrub, bump it up a size the moment you see roots circling or bursting from the drainage holes, water running straight through, or growth stalling.
Size & spacing
Size rides on the type, but this form shoots up to about 2 to 3 feet (61 to 91 cm) tall and sprawls a wide 6 to 8 feet (183 to 244 cm). Hand it plenty of room to spread, because crowding chokes the airflow and rolls out the welcome mat for disease.
When to plant
Cotoneaster is a plant-it-once, keep-it-for-years kind of shrub, not a crop you chase around the calendar. Get new plants in the ground in spring or fall while the soil works easily, then look forward to flowers in late spring and red berries firing up from late summer, hanging on through fall and into 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
Cotoneaster runs easy, but a few problems do show up, and one of them moves fast, so it pays to stay on top of it. The new shoots and the leaves flash the first warning signs, so that is where to look. Match what you spot to the cases below and jump on anything that looks like blight before it spreads.
Scorched-looking shoots that blacken and hook at the tip
This is fire blight, a bacterial disease cotoneaster catches all too easily, and it tears through new growth from the tip down. The blackened shoots hook over and can ooze. Move fast: 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
Mottled yellow or bronze foliage with dark flecks beneath the leaves
Two pests pull off this dull, mottled look. Lace bugs dot the leaf undersides with shiny black droppings, while spider mites storm in during hot, dry spells and spin fine webbing. Blast the foliage with a hose to knock back the mites, then hit the undersides with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil, and repeat through the season if they bounce back.
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 tied up in caterpillar silk and stripped to skeletons
Meet the cotoneaster webworm, whose caterpillars feed hidden inside the silk they spin among the branches. Snip out and destroy the webbed branch tips the instant you spot them. While the larvae are still small, a hit of Bacillus thuringiensis or another suitable insecticide shuts them down fast.
Fix:
- Prune out and destroy webbed branch tips
- Apply Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) or an appropriate insecticide while larvae are small
Toxicity
For all its charm, cotoneaster is a plant to keep out of mouths. Every part of it, from the leaves to those eye-catching berries, packs cyanogenic glycosides that release small amounts of cyanide. A stray berry usually means only mild stomach upset, but a big helping can turn genuinely dangerous, so clear up fallen fruit and keep pets, livestock, and young children well away.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Caution
In cats, a nibbled berry or leaf usually kicks off drooling and a bout of vomiting. Stay alert for a big mouthful, since a large helping can push into cyanide territory with weakness and labored breathing.
Dogs Caution
Most dogs that grab a few berries get off with an upset stomach and some vomiting. Trouble flares when one eats a large quantity, which can trigger the same cyanide effects and warrants a call to the vet.
Horses Toxic
A horse eats by the mouthful, and that big appetite raises the stakes with this shrub. Enough foliage or fruit can set dangerous cyanide loose, with staggering, rapid breathing, and collapse as the signals, so keep the paddock well clear of it.
Rabbits Toxic
The cyanogenic compounds in the foliage and berries make cotoneaster a poor and risky choice for a rabbit. Offer no part of it, and fence it off where rabbits roam.
Livestock Toxic
Goats, cattle, and sheep browse hard, and that lets them take in enough of the plant for the cyanide to do real harm. Weakness, gasping, and sudden distress are the red flags, so site the shrub far from any pasture or grazing run.
Birds Caution
Wild birds gobble the ripe berries and spread the seed without harm, but caged pet birds are smaller and far 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 tempting. A stray berry or two tends to cause mild stomach upset at most, but eating a real quantity can bring on cyanide symptoms, so 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 covers a brilliant range of shapes, from ground-hugging mats to tall, arching shrubs. Here are the kinds you are most likely to run into.
Cotoneaster horizontalis (Rockspray Cotoneaster)
A low spreader that tops out around 2 to 3 feet but stretches a bold 6 to 8 feet wide, throwing its branches into the flat fishbone pattern that earns it its name.
Cotoneaster franchetii (Orange/Gray Cotoneaster)
An upright, mostly evergreen shrub that powers up to 6 to 10 feet with orange-red berries, though it loves to bolt out of gardens in mild-winter regions.
Cotoneaster salicifolius (Willowleaf Cotoneaster)
A bigger, arching shrub that stands out for its long, narrow willow-like leaves and the heavy clusters of red berries it loads up.
Cotoneaster dammeri (Bearberry Cotoneaster)
A flat-growing evergreen that roots as it creeps along the ground, which makes it a powerhouse pick for covering slopes and locking soil in place.
How to propagate
Cotoneaster hands you three easy ways to multiply it, and one of them happens all by itself. Grab the method that fits how fast you want a plant and how much you feel like getting stuck in.
Stem cuttingsModerate
Summer · Several weeks to root; one or more seasons to establish
Take semi-hardwood cuttings in summer and root them somewhere warm and humid. They strike roots over several weeks, so hang tight and plan on a season or more before a young plant truly settles in.
SeedModerate
Fall · One or more seasons; seed needs stratification and germination is slow
The birds knock out most of this for you, gobbling the berries and dropping the seed far and wide. To do it on purpose, sow in fall and give the seed a cold spell, since stratification is what breaks its dormancy. Pack your patience, because germination is slow and a seedling needs a season or more to get rolling.
LayeringEasy
Spring to summer · One season or more to root where stems touch the soil
This is the hands-off route, and it basically runs itself. The low, spreading branches root on their own wherever they press against moist soil, so from spring through summer you can pin a stem down, let it take hold over a season or more, and then cut it free.
Myths
Even a single berry off a cotoneaster can badly poison a dog or cat, because the fruit is deadly.
Good news: the berries are only mildly toxic. A cat or dog that eats a few usually walks away with nothing worse than a sour stomach, and it takes a real mouthful before the cyanide compounds climb to a dangerous level. The risk rides on the quantity, not on one berry.
Cotoneaster shrugs off every pest and disease, so nothing serious ever goes wrong with it.
It absolutely earns its easy reputation, but bulletproof it is not. Cotoneaster is very prone to fire blight, and lace bugs, webworm, spider mites, leaf spot, and canker can each take a swing at it.