Cotoneaster - deciduous or evergreen shrub, found very often in the landscaping of the European part of Russia. Cotoneaster leaves are simple, alternate, ovate, dark green in summer, turning red in autumn.
The flowers are pink or white, small, in racemes, corymbs or solitary. Cotoneaster fruits are small, black or red. Cotoneaster grows slowly. There are 40 species in the genus.
The main attraction of cotoneasters is the combination of strong branching, original foliage and varied growth forms. Small pink or white flowers are almost not decorative, but are excellent honey plants.
Cotoneaster is also prized for its thick crown of shiny green leaves that turn red in the fall. Cotoneaster is simply irreplaceable when creating a hedge, because it is easy to form, retains its shape for a long time and can be transplanted at any time.
In addition to this, by the end of summer, the decorative effect of cotoneaster increases due to the red or black fruits that hang on the branches for a long time. Cotoneaster fruits are not poisonous; birds show great interest in them.
Frost-resistant cotoneaster and drought-resistant. It develops well in the city, as it is dust and gas resistant and has little demand for soil fertility. Grows well in light and in slight shade.
Many types of cotoneaster can be used for decorative groups, for alpine hills, for hedges, for planting on slopes, but a small number of cotoneaster species are used in culture.
Only 3 species - black cotoneaster, brilliant, common - have great winter hardiness and are resistant to weather in the middle zone.
Cotoneaster aronia
Winter-hardy in the middle zone. Under natural conditions it grows from Central Europe to China, including Central Asia and the Caucasus. Chokeberry cotoneaster grows in forests of various types. Protected in nature reserves.
Cotoneaster aronia is a shrub 2 m in height with red-brown shoots and has black fruits. The leaves are ovate, 5 cm long, green above, white-tomentose below. From the age of 5 it begins to bloom and bear fruit annually. Flowering lasts 25 days. The spherical fruits of the black cotoneaster ripen in October, turning from brown to black.
Black cotoneaster is not picky about soil and grows well in the shade and in the city. Easily tolerates transplantation, seeds and propagated by cuttings. In addition to decorative purposes, black cotoneaster is a good honey plant.
Cotoneaster brilliant
The homeland of brilliant cotoneaster is Eastern Siberia. This species grows singly or in groups in bushes.
Cotoneaster brilliant - shrub, 2 m in height. The leaves are pointed, shiny, green on top; in autumn the leaves are purple.
Pink cotoneaster flowers are collected in 3-8-flowered inflorescences. The brilliant cotoneaster blooms for about 30 days in May. Spectacular black fruits, shiny, with brown, tasteless pulp, are stored on the bushes until late autumn. The cotoneaster bears fruit, shining from the age of 4.
The brilliant cotoneaster is winter-hardy, shade-tolerant, and unpretentious to soils. Propagated vegetatively and by seeds.
The brilliant cotoneaster is perfect for hedges, as well as for planting on the edges of lawns.
Common cotoneaster
Under natural conditions, this cotoneaster can be found from the Baltic states to the North Caucasus. Grows on mountain slopes.
Common cotoneaster is an upright, branched, deciduous shrub about 2 m in height. Young shoots of cotoneaster with woolly drooping, then become bare. Broadly ovate leaves, green above, smooth, shiny, felt-like below. Cotoneaster flowers are pink and white. The fruits are red.
The common cotoneaster is undemanding to the soil and grows well on calcareous soils. It is characterized by high winter hardiness. Grows well in sunny places. Decorative in fruits that last until autumn. Common cotoneaster is used for planting in hedges.
Cotoneaster horizontal
Grows in Central China. Horizontal cotoneaster grows on mountain slopes.
The name of this species indicates its growth. Cotoneaster horizontalis is a shrub up to 50 cm tall, with branched shoots spread out, almost pressed to the ground. Its small, round, green leaves are beautiful; in autumn they turn purple.
Flowers are paired or single, sessile, with pink-reddish petals. Horizontal cotoneaster blooms from May to June. The fruits are spherical, about 5 mm in diameter, shiny, red, ripen in September and remain in abundance until December, giving the bush a special decorative appearance.
This type of cotoneaster is demanding on the soil. It grows strongly and quickly expands in width, the diameter is more than 1 m. One of the most elegant species. A beautiful ground cover plant, for strengthening slopes, for rocky gardens, cascading gardening.
Dummer cotoneaster
It grows naturally in Central China.
The creeping shoots of this cotoneaster are pressed to the ground and take root. The shoots branch in one plane, rising 20 cm, and grow to the sides to a distance of more than 1.5 m. Dummer cotoneaster has leathery green leaves.
The leaves of Dummer's cotoneaster are very small, up to 2 cm long. The reddish flowers sitting on the branches are beautiful. In autumn, in September, countless ripening coral-red fruits are very beautifully combined with shiny foliage. In late autumn, the bush becomes even more beautiful thanks to its purple leaves and bright fruits.
Dummer's cotoneaster propagates by layering, cuttings and seeds. The shrub is drought-resistant and does not freeze under snow. Grows well in poor sandy soil. Loves a sunny location and tolerates slight shade. It grows quickly.
The Russian name is given for the similarity of the red fruits of the plant with dogwood, which belongs to the genus Cornus. All species are distinguished by a dense crown, dense, shiny leaves. By autumn, the leaves become purple-red; in summer they are bright green, pubescent below. Small flowers are collected in inflorescences and bloom in May. The fruit is apple-shaped, inedible, ripens in September.
The shrub is drought-resistant, heat-loving, but there are also frost-resistant species. Horizontal cotoneaster has been used in landscape design since the 19th century. It grows slowly, does not tolerate excess moisture, prefers neutral and slightly acidic soils; planting on peaty, loamy soils is highly decorative. All species are highly resistant to disease and hardy.
Variety of species
Some species grow up to 4.5 m, among them there are also ground cover forms that do not rise above 0.3 cm. Such plasticity and diversity is widely used in urban landscaping, design and arrangement of country estates, and summer cottages.
Tall shrub - up to 4 m
- Acute cotoneaster is a frost-resistant shrub, can withstand temperatures down to -28 o C, light-loving, drought-resistant.
- Blistered - frost-hardy, small flowers, wrinkled, pubescent leaves, very beautiful in autumn, shiny, red fruits.
Shrub of medium height - up to 3 m
- Peking - the birthplace of the plant is considered to be Mongolia, the northern region of China. The plant tolerates frosts down to -34 o C;
- Diels cotoneaster is a frost-resistant, drought-resistant, common plant;
- cellular - tall, with a spreading, two-row crown, wrinkled, pubescent leaves at the bottom, decorative in autumn; planting of shrubs is possible in areas with harsh winters;
- Franceti cotoneaster is a rare evergreen species, found in nature in Tibet and Burma. Shoots and leaves are pubescent. In adult leaves, the outer part of the plate is bare, the pubescence below is yellowish;
- brilliant - deciduous, shade-tolerant, homeland - Eastern Altai, frost-resistant, in cultivation since 1840;
- multi-flowered - a rare deciduous species, used in cultivation since 1837, achieves decorative value on calcareous soils, is frost-resistant, especially beautiful in the fall due to its thick, brightly colored foliage and abundant fruits.
Low-growing cotoneaster - from 1 m to 2.5 m
- Spreading - highly decorative deciduous shrub with an umbrella-shaped crown, many reddish shoots, fragrant flowers, bright red fruits;
- Khupehensky - a decorative frost-resistant species, with an elegant crown, dark green leaves, large flowers with a diameter of up to 0.9 cm;
- ordinary - frost-resistant deciduous plant, found in the Caucasus, pinkish flowers, spherical fruits, planting is recommended for creating a hedge in central Russia;
Creeping species
- Pressed - a ground cover species, up to 45 cm high, rooted by creeping shoots. The plant is frost-resistant, with slightly pubescent leaves, bright red fruits;
- horizontal - creeping shrub, creating a dense cover, up to 0.5 m in height and up to 2 m in diameter;
- small-leaved - a dwarf, creeping variety of this, Kashmir small-leaved, is common in cultivation;
- single-flowered - drought-resistant, light-loving species, with a wide, low crown, pressed to the ground. The shoots are recumbent, the leaves are dark green, the flowers are solitary, the fruits are small, orange-red, ripen in August.
Variable cotoneaster with a varied habit - willow-leaved. This evergreen shrub, originally from Western China, grows from 0.3 m to 4.5 m, is frost-resistant down to -23 °C; several varieties of this species are widely used in landscape design in Europe.
Ground cover forms
Cotoneaster is widely used as a ground cover plant. Groundcovers include species small-leaved and horizontal cotoneaster. One of the common varieties of Saxalitis, planting this shrub with small, shiny leaves, bright red fruits that do not fall off until deep frosts, forms dense turf with a diameter of up to 60 cm.
Horizontal cotoneaster Variegatus grows 30 cm in height and 2 m in width. The variegated small dense leaves are highly decorative, the lower horizontal layer spreads densely along the ground, the upper row is parallel, creating a dense cover with dense foliage.
Varieties with decorative fruits
Dammer's Coral Beauty and Shogholm varieties look attractive. Since 1999, Shogholm has been planted everywhere, and the variety is included in the State Register throughout the Russian Federation. By autumn the leaves become a rich orange color, the fruits are up to 1 cm in diameter and do not fall off for a long time.
The evergreen variety Coral Beauty attracts with its many red fruits, reaching 1.2 cm in diameter. The branches seem to be covered with fruits. The leaves are very small, dense, pubescent below, the shoots are lying, each horizontal shoot produces many shoots, spreading like a fan over a distance of up to 1 m.
Usage
Creeping varieties are used to strengthen slopes and design rocky hills. Medium-height shrubs are used to form hedges, use them for decorative pruning, and create original single figures. In spring, the horizontal cotoneaster blooms, decorating the area and attracting pollinating insects. Autumn color pleases with bright and varied colors, thick shiny foliage that does not fall off for a long time.
Common cotoneaster is considered an evergreen or deciduous plant, from which hedges are formed and landscapes are landscaped. The plant is also a wonderful honey plant that attracts insects. They will pollinate fruit bushes and trees, and vegetables in the garden. Let's take a closer look at what types of shrubs there are, how to plant and care for cotoneaster, as well as its propagation.
Brief description of the bush
Common cotoneaster grows slowly, has no thorns, and reaches a height of up to 2.5 meters. It is rare to see small cotoneaster trees in the garden. The plant has ovate leaves, dark green in color, which turn slightly red in autumn. The shrub blooms with white or pink flowers and bears fruit with red or black fruits.
Cotoneaster has a dense crown and a large number of branches from which you can create a green figurine of any shape. Bushes are often planted to create hedges, which in the fall are abundantly covered with red or black berries and reddish-green leaves.
Cotoneaster withstands drought and frost, and is also not afraid of dust and gas pollution, which is why it is often planted in big cities near roads. There are more than 40 types of cotoneaster, from which you can choose the most suitable option to decorate your territory.
There are also varieties of cotoneaster, the fruits of which are often used for cooking. The berries have an antiseptic effect and help improve body tone. Edible chokeberry bush is used to prepare decoctions that help cure gastrointestinal diseases, nervous disorders, epilepsy, liver and kidney diseases.
On the territory of our country you can often find the following types of cotoneaster:
- Common cotoneaster is an upright, deciduous shrub with a rounded crown and wide ovate leaves. The leaves are smooth, shiny, dark green on top, and pubescent below, like felt. This variety tolerates frost best of all, grows on any soil, is used to create hedges, and loves intense sunlight. Fruits with white-pink or red fruits;
- Shiny cotoneaster is a densely branched, upright growing shrub with shiny oval leaves and pink inflorescences. The plant attracts with its rich green and purple-red leaves. Fruits in the form of balls have no taste. But they remain on the branches of the bush until winter;
- Chokeberry cotoneaster has ovate leaves, pink flowers, which are collected in loose clusters and emit a pleasant aroma. The cotoneaster bush bears fruit with spherical black fruits. Tolerates frosts, grows on any soil, propagates by seeds or cuttings;
- horizontal cotoneaster grows only 50 centimeters. Its shoots spread along the ground. The bush has small round leaves that are green and red in autumn. Blooms with pink-red flowers. This variety needs fertile soil and cannot always survive severe frost. But it can withstand drought and needs frequent pruning as it grows quickly. Decorative rock gardens are created from it;
- Dummer's cotoneaster has small leathery leaves, creeping and rooting shoots. It blooms with red inflorescences and bears coral-red fruits. Bright fruits with burgundy leaves of the bush beautifully decorate garden areas in autumn. This type of plant can grow in any soil, well-lit or slightly shaded area. Tolerates drought and frost if covered with snow.
It is necessary to take note that to create hedges it is recommended to plant shiny and chokeberry cotoneaster, and for alpine hills it is best to choose a horizontal type of cotoneaster.
Features of planting shrubs
Cotoneaster is planted or replanted in the spring, when the earth has already warmed up well, but the buds have not yet blossomed. Any type of shrub can be safely replanted in the spring. Shiny and black-fruited cotoneaster are best planted in the fall before the first frost.
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Any soil can be used for planting, but to prevent the accumulation of moisture near the roots, the soil must be well drained. Fill the dug trenches with expanded clay, broken bricks or coarse sand mixed with gravel.
It is also advisable to prepare the soil so that the bush grows beautifully and bears fruit well. Mix one part peat compost with two parts turf soil and the same amount of sand. For better health of the bush, you can add a glass of lime to the soil for each meter of trench.
The procedure for planting cotoneaster is as follows:
- Dig holes measuring 80x100 centimeters deep.
- Cover the bottom of each hole with drainage.
- Fill the hole halfway with pre-prepared soil.
- Pour water and mix it with the soil.
- Place cotoneaster seedlings in the center of each hole.
- Spread the roots and cover them with soil.
Water the planted bushes again. Mulch the tree trunk circles. Trim the crown by a third. This procedure is carried out so that the roots of the seedlings feed the branches and foliage more easily.
It is also necessary to remember that between each plant there must be a distance of 0.5 - 2 meters, depending on the type.
A cotoneaster hedge is planted a little differently. Choose the appropriate type of shrub. Mark and dig planting trenches measuring 70x90 centimeters. Fill the trench halfway with the prepared soil. Plant the seedlings at a distance of 30 centimeters. Pinch the tops of the plants at a height of half a meter. Determine the contour of the future hedge and pinch the tops. Two years after planting, beautiful hedges can be formed from the grown bushes by cutting off excess branches.
Features of plant care
Cotoneaster does not require special attention to care for; it is enough to water the plants immediately after planting, and then not water for a long time. Avoid over-wetting the soil to prevent the bush from dying due to too much water. If the summer is too hot, it is recommended to water the cotoneaster once every 14 days, using 5 buckets of water for each bush.
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It is important to regularly remove all weeds, loosen the soil under the bushes, and shower the leaves on hot days to wash away dust from them.
Shrub pruning is carried out as follows:
- every spring it is necessary to do anti-aging pruning;
- To create a landscape composition, formative pruning is carried out in early spring. The bushes are cut radically with special tools.
At any time, you can carry out sanitary pruning of protruding sills.
Top dressing
Also, cotoneaster needs proper fertilizer. In the spring, the bush needs to be fed with nitrogen fertilizers, urea diluted in water or Kemira-universal granules.
Before flowering, the plant is fertilized with potassium mixed with superphosphate. In autumn, the soil around the bushes is mulched with peat.
Cotoneaster protection
- Very rarely, but still, sometimes cotoneaster is attacked by aphids, spider mites and scale insects. If young shoots begin to dry out, special systemic preparations are used to combat aphids.
- The spider mite envelops the branches of the bush with a thin web. To combat such a pest, you can use Fitoverm, Neoron.
- Karbofos or Rogor fights moths on the plant. Processing is carried out twice with a break of 14 days.
- Cotoneaster may suffer due to a fungal disease - fusarium. The bushes are treated with fungicides, and diseased branches are pruned and burned.
Almost all varieties of cotoneaster can withstand frost. It is enough to mulch the soil with peat in the fall. If you still have concerns about the safety of the bushes, bend them to the ground, fix them in this position and cover them with dried leaves. If snow falls in winter, you can remove the leaves from the bushes so that they can winter without shelter. If the winter turns out to be snowless, you can additionally cover the bushes with spruce branches.
How does cotoneaster reproduce?
There are types of cotoneaster that reproduce only by seed; there are those that can be propagated by cuttings, layering, or dividing the bush. If you choose propagation by seeds, take note that the seeds have low germination rate, so they are sown with a reserve. Seeds are sown before wintering, and excess shoots are removed in the spring.
Propagation by seeds
Collect the fruits of the bush and let them dry slightly. Remove the seeds and rinse with water. Place in a glass of liquid. Collect and discard the floating seeds, and those that have sunk can be used for further processing.
Mix sowing material with sand and peat. Moisten, place in boxes and store until spring at a temperature of 0 degrees. During wintering, the seeds undergo natural stratification and are ready for planting.
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In the spring, prepare the soil, sow the seeds and water. After some time, shoots will appear. Excess sprouts can be removed.
Cuttings
In June, trim the cuttings for rooting. Place the cut branches in water with a growth stimulator for 24 hours. After a while, plant them at an angle of 45 degrees in beds with light, loose soil of sand and peat. Pour warm water and cover with a plastic cap. From time to time it needs to be removed so that the shoots do not dry out.
Water the cuttings without removing the cap, making small holes in it. Next spring, transplant the rooted cuttings to a permanent place of growth.
Reproduction by layering
The creeping and horizontal type of cotoneaster is often propagated by layering. Bend the young shoots to the soil and secure with metal staples. Sprinkle humus at the attachment point.
Next spring, carefully separate the cuttings from the main bush with a shovel and plant them in a permanent place. Propagating cotoneaster in this way is considered the most reliable and simplest option.
Dividing the bush
Large mature bushes are divided into parts and planted in different holes. The division of the bush is carried out in spring or autumn. The delenki are immediately planted in the prepared pits. This method of propagation is the fastest and the survival rate of the bushes is high.
Is it worth planting cotoneaster?
If you are wondering whether it is worth planting cotoneaster on your site, remember that it is often used by designers when creating landscape beauty. When choosing a cotoneaster variety before planting, consider the following requirements for the plant:
- the bush should be well suited to the climatic conditions of the area;
- throughout the year the plant should have an attractive appearance;
- caring for a bush should be convenient and pleasant;
- the soil of the site must be suitable for cotoneaster;
- the bush must withstand drought, severe frosts or other weather conditions;
- Also, the plant should not need constant replanting.
It is the cotoneaster that meets all the points described, so you can safely plant it on your site. The shrub also keeps the soil from crumbling, especially if the area is sandy or located on a strong slope.
Thanks to a chic living hedge made of cotoneaster, you can hide any imperfections in your garden.
Now you know how cotoneaster is planted and cared for, what types of shrubs there are, and how it reproduces. Do not hesitate whether to plant a plant in your garden or country house. Be sure to plant it and enjoy the beautiful view, pleasant aroma and healthy fruits throughout the year. It is only important to choose a more suitable type of cotoneaster and plant it correctly.
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