COTONEASTER Facts

COLORS

Dark green shrub with white or pink flowers in summer and red berries in fall

LIGHT

Sun to light shade

SOIL

Dry

WATER

Once established, they will tolerate long periods with out supplementary watering.

pH

Prefers slightly alkaline

HARDINESS

Easy to care for

USES

Groundcover and decorative plant for rock gardens. Hard to transplant unless grown in containers.

TIP

Fireblight: Causing flowers to wilt and wither, they appear scorched, it is controlled by cutting back affected shoots to healthy white wood. Burn prunings.

COTONEASTER

Pronounced "cah-toe-nee-as-ter", most cotoneaster plants are evergreen-to-deciduous. They have small, rounded leaves that turn red-orange in fall and tiny pink or white flowers in spring that resemble tiny single roses. Although not showy, cotoneasters are attractive by virtue of their abundance. Red and orange-red berries sprouted in the fall last most of the winter. Cotoneaster feature long, arching stems with many side branches and are attractive for their shape alone. They are popular as ground covers, in front of shrub plantings, or on steep banks, where they help hold the soil in place.

Although not showy, cotoneasters are attractive by virtue of their abundance.

FERTILIZING COTONEASTER

Cotoneaster plants do not transplant well and are best bought in containers and left in one place. They are tolerant of dry soil and the salty winds of seaside areas. All grow vigorously and thrive with little or no maintenance. For best results, give them full sun and well-drained soil. Some kinds can tolerate poor soil and drought. These plants look best when allowed to maintain their natural shapes.

Prune cotoneaster ground covers to remove dead or awkward branches. Ground cover plantings seldom grow dense enough to keep weeds from coming through, so mulch in fall and spring. Apply Vigoro® Tree Shrub & Evergreen or similar potash-rich fertilizer in mid-spring and again in mid-summer.

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