Bearberry cotoneaster

Bearberry cotoneaster: how do you recognise it?

Habit

A creeping, flat shrub 15–20 cm high, with branches up to 2 m long that root into the ground.

Leaves

Small and oval, 1.5–3 cm, leathery and glossy dark green; evergreen, sometimes tinged purple in winter.

Flowers

Small, open white flowers about 1 cm across, single or in pairs, in May and June.

Fruit

Small, round, coral-red berries from September, which stay on the branches for a long time.

Roots

Fine and branching; the stems make new roots where they touch the soil.

Flowering: May–June · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March–April

Why grow it?

• An evergreen ground cover that stays green all year and smothers weeds.
• Its rooting branches hold the soil of a bank or slope in place.
• The small white flowers in May–June are a magnet for bees.
• Red berries in autumn and winter: food for birds.
• Grows in sun, partial shade and shade, on almost any soil.

Bearberry cotoneaster: where does it grow best?

• Sun, partial shade or shade; in sun it flowers best and carries the most berries.
• Any ordinary garden soil: sand, loam or clay, acid to chalky.
• Dry to moist; once established it copes well with a dry spell.
• Allow 3–4 plants per m² for ground cover that closes quickly.
• Suitable for banks, slopes and under larger shrubs.

Light

Sun, partial shade and shade

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.2 m tall, 2 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Daffodil: Pushes up through the low mat in spring and flowers yellow above the dark leaves.
• Bigroot cranesbill: Another tough ground cover for sun and shade, with pink flowers in June.
• Mahonia: A taller evergreen shrub with yellow flowers in early spring, for the back.
• Ornamental grasses: An airy contrast above the flat, dark mat.

Bearberry cotoneaster: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or September–October.
2. Clear the ground of weeds first, especially perennial weeds such as couch grass and ground elder.
3. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot.
4. Plant 3–4 per m², about 50–55 cm apart.
5. Water generously and spread a layer of wood chips between the plants to keep weeds down.
6. Keep weeding during the first year until the plants grow together.

Care

Watering

Water regularly in dry spells during the first year; after that it is rarely needed.

Feeding

Not needed. Perhaps a little compost in spring.

Weeding

Weed for the first year or two, until the branches form a closed mat.

Fallen leaves

In autumn, rake thick layers of fallen leaves off the mat so it is not smothered.

Trimming

Only shorten branches that grow over a path or lawn.

Tip: Remove every perennial weed before planting and spread a layer of wood chips between the young plants: once the mat has closed, it needs almost no work.

Bearberry cotoneaster: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March–April.

When: Pruning is rarely needed. In March–April, cut back branches that spread too far or grow over a path or edge.

How:

• Cut over-long branches back to just above a side shoot.
• Remove dead or winter-damaged branches.
• An old, bare plant can be cut back hard in spring; it usually shoots again well.

Caution: Preferably do not prune in summer or autumn: you would remove the berries meant for the birds.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Layering

The branches root by themselves where they touch the ground. In spring or autumn, cut off a rooted branch and plant it elsewhere.

Semi-ripe cuttings

In July–August take 10 cm cuttings and insert them in moist cutting compost under plastic or in a cold frame. They root within a few weeks.

Bearberry cotoneaster: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: in Belgium protection is usually unnecessary.
• In severe winters or where it is exposed to cold, dry east winds the leaves may brown or drop; it shoots again in spring.
• The berries stay on in winter and feed blackbirds and thrushes.
• In a pot or container: keep it sheltered and water now and then in dry winter weather.

Diseases and pests

• Fireblight: Flowers, leaves and shoot tips suddenly turn brown to black, as if scorched, and the tips curl over like a shepherd’s crook. Cut out affected branches well into healthy wood, disinfect your secateurs and do not put the waste on the compost heap.
• Aphids: Small aphids on young shoots in spring. Spray them off with water; ladybirds and birds do the rest.
• Scale insects: Brown, domed scales on the branches. Brush them off or cut out affected branches.
• Weeds in the mat: Grass and perennial weeds grow up between the branches. Plant in weed-free soil and weed regularly in the first years.

Through the year

• March: Planting. Cut off over-long or frost-damaged branches.
• April: Planting. Weed and mulch.
• May: In flower: full of bees.
• June: In flower. Weed between the young plants.
• July: Take semi-ripe cuttings. Water young plants in dry spells.
• September: Red berries. Planting.
• October: Planting. Rake fallen leaves off the mat.
• December: Berries provide winter food for birds.

Edible and useful

Not edible. The red berries of cotoneaster are mildly poisonous: the seeds contain compounds that can release cyanide. A few berries usually cause no symptoms, but a larger amount can cause stomach ache, vomiting and diarrhoea, in dogs and cats too. The berries stay on from autumn well into winter, often at a child’s height or, on the creeping kinds, right beside a path, and they tempt small children. Teach them that the berries are for the birds, and pick them off where toddlers play. Birds, however, eat them without harm and so spread the seeds. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Birds

Berries, seeds or insects as food, or a place to nest.

Did you know?

• The plant is named after the German botanist Udo Dammer.
• The name Cotoneaster comes from the Latin cotoneum (quince) and the suffix -aster (resembling): the plant was compared to a quince.
• Cotoneasters belong to the rose family, like apple, pear and hawthorn.