Side by side
Cotoneaster or spiraea? How to tell them apart
Cotoneaster · Spiraea
How to tell them apart – cotoneaster: untoothed leaves and red berries; spiraea: shrub with small, toothed leaves and masses of tiny white or pink flowers.
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How do you recognise them?
- Cotoneaster
- Shrub with small leaves and red berries, often creeping or arching.
- Compared with spiraea: untoothed leaves and red berries.
- Spiraea
- Shrub with small, toothed leaves and masses of tiny white or pink flowers.
| Cotoneaster | Spiraea | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, small (0.5–5 cm) and untoothed; many species are evergreen. | Alternate, small (2–8 cm), lance-shaped and toothed. |
| Flowering | Small white or pink flowers in May–June; a bee magnet (May–June). | Little white posies along the branches in April–May (bridal wreath) or flat pink heads in summer (Japanese spiraea) (May–July). |
| Fruit | Red berries, lasting into winter. | Small follicles. |
| Bark | Wall cotoneaster has branches in a herringbone pattern. | Thin brown twigs. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 0.3–4 m | Shrub, 0.5–2 m |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, dry to wet | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | No, naturalised | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Yes, for bees and birds | Yes, for bees and butterflies |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | March–April and August–September | March and May–June |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have: see the growing conditions in the table.
Read on
- Plant profile: Cotoneaster
- Plant profile: Spiraea
- Cotoneaster: when and how to prune
- Spiraea: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.