Cotoneaster apiculatus is a low arching to mounding shrub, with
glossy small leaves and prominent globular red fruits. Cranberry Cotoneaster
is often utilized as an edging or facer shrub or as a tall groundcover.
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F E A T U R E S |
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Form
-low sprawling deciduous shrub or moderately tall woody groundcover
-maturing at 1.5' tall x 5' wide
-arching mound and spreading mound growth habit, with branches sometimes rooting as they touch the ground
-slow growth rate |
Foliage
-dark glossy green
-alternate and small, to 0.5" long
-broadly elliptical to rhombic, with an acute tip and an undulating leaf margin
-spider mite cosmetic leaf damage, especially during hot and dry summers, is common in this species
-autumn color is a mixture of green, yellow, orange, red, and wine, slowly absicing |
Flowers
-pink buds opening to white-pink flowers tightly pressed to the stems, in late May and early June
-many very small clustered flowers
-effective as a whole plant in flower, especially up-close, but not overwhelming |
Fruit
-red, maturing in late Aug. and a very effective contrast in late summer and early autumn while the foliage is still a glossy dark green
-0.25" diameter and persistent into early winter
-effective display when in mass plantings |
Twig
-red-purple with persistent pubescence
-older stems olive-brown and lenticeled
-branches continuously arching with numerous side branchlets
-buds very small |
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Trunk
-not applicable |
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C U L T
U R E
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Culture
-full sun to partial shade
-prefers moist, well-drained soils but is very urban stress tolerant, including poor soils, soil pHs, drought, pruning, salt spray, and some soil compaction
-propagated by rooted cuttings or seeds
-Rose Family, with the primary pest problem being spider mites that cause cosmetic leaf damage, and occasionally fireblight disease to the young stems
-mulch to prevent weeds from arising through the center of the shrub, due to the small foliage that allows light penetration
to the ground
-abundantly available in containers |
Hardiness
-zones 5 to 7
Origin
native to Western China
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U S A G E |
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Assets
-lustrous dark green foliage
-arching branches
-red cranberry-like fruits (hence the common name) that are dense and persistent into early winter
-salt spray tolerant
Liabilities
-garbage and dead leaf collector because of low, arching, many-stemmed profile
-slow growth
-spider mites are a frequent foliage cosmetic problem, especially when the plant is under heat and drought stress in summer |
Function
-shrub or groundcover effective as an edging, facer, embankment, mass planting, low barrier, foundation, wall, or raised planter (short cascading effect) woody plant
Texture
-fine texture in foliage but medium when bare
-open density in foliage and when bare |
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S E L
E C T I 0 N S |
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Varieties
and Cultivars
- Search
OSU PlantFacts for additional plants in this species
Alternates
-other low-profile groundcover shrubs, especially those with arching stems, attractive foliage, and/or showy fruits (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Erica, Juniperus conferta, Juniperus horizontalis, Microbiota decussata, Mitchella repens, etc.) |