What does a Cotoneaster plant look like?
Though they vary in size, the many species of cotoneaster all have a few things in common. Cotoneasters have a wide spread three times or more their height, glossy leaves, and red or black fall and winter berries.
What is a Tibetan cotoneaster?
Tibetan cotoneaster is a low-growing, evergreen shrub suitable for growing en masse beneath trees or in hard-to-grow areas, or using as a low hedge. It has small, dark green, glossy oval leaves.
How do you prune a Cotoneaster?
Simply prune and reshape evergreen varieties in early spring, and deciduous cotoneasters a bit later on, just before spring growth restarts. Cotoneasters grown as small trees will need little pruning, except to shape the canopy or remove diseased, crossing branches.
What is the largest Cotoneaster tree?
Cotoneaster frigidus ‘Cornubia’ is one of the largest cotoneasters available, often forming an enormous bushy shrub but it can also be trained into a standard tree. It bears masses of dense clusters of white flowers in summer, followed by large, vivid red berries in autumn and throughout winter.
Cotoneaster procumbens spreads to 6 feet wide but only 4 inches tall. The dark green foliage shows tinges of purple when young. It has white flowers in summer.
Should I prune my Cotoneaster?
If you want to maintain a certain size or shape for your Cotoneaster, you can prune it whenever you feel like it. Most species only require light trimming to control diseases or to remove unhealthy and old branches. As a general rule, it is always better to cut off the branches down to the base rather than making them shorter or shearing them.
What can I plant with Cotoneaster franchetii?
Cotoneaster franchetii works well in an evergreen mixed planting or as a free-standing transitional shrub. You can use it to lighten heavy evergreens, such as laurels and mahonias, or you can use it to create a backdrop to shrub roses and perennials.
Can you plant a Cotoneaster in the spring?
In spring, you can still plant saplings purchased in containers, but they will need more regular watering at the beginning. Cotoneaster makes for great hedges: thick, dense, and on top of that very ornamental.