Plant of the Week: Cotoneaster horizontalis, the herringbone shrub with winter berries
Shwmae, everyone!
This week's Plant of the Week is at its very best right now. Cotoneaster horizontalis, the rock cotoneaster, spends autumn blazing red and yellow, then drops its leaves to reveal flat fans of branches studded with masses of bright red berries that last well into winter, from August right through to February.
Why we love it
It's frost hardy, easy to grow and fast. The branches grow in a neat herringbone pattern, reaching about 1 metre high and 1.5 metres across, and pink flowers follow in early summer. That's interest in every season from one plant.
All the things you can do with it
- Clothe a bare wall or fence. Plant it at the foot of a wall and its fans press flat against the brick, turning a dull spot into a living tapestry.
- Grow a low, informal hedge or cover a sunny bank where mowing is a chore.
- Feed the birds. Those berries are a winter larder for blackbirds and thrushes when food is scarce.
- Deck the halls. Snip a few berried sprays for wreaths, garlands and Christmas table centrepieces. In a vase of fresh water, cut sprays usually look good indoors for about a week, longer in a cool room away from radiators.
- Bring a pot indoors for a while. A potted plant makes a lovely festive display by the door. Keep it somewhere cool and bright, water lightly, and treat it as a short stay of a week or so. Then pop it back outside in a sheltered spot for a few days before returning it to its usual place.
- Try bonsai. Its tiny leaves and naturally layered branches make it a classic beginner's bonsai.
Wreath idea: ivy and euonymus with sprays of cotoneaster berries tucked in (an illustrative image).
A safety note: cotoneaster berries are for the birds and for decoration, not for eating, so keep them away from children and pets. Don't eat or use any plant medicinally without checking it's safe.
Where it fits
Give it full sun in a border, rockery, large pot or at the foot of a wall. It suits cottage, wild and informal gardens beautifully. It can self-seed, so pull up any seedlings you don't want.
Planting and care now
November is perfect for planting. Dig a hole twice the width of the pot, mix in some peat-free compost, plant at the same depth and water well. After that, a light trim once or twice in the growing season stops it getting long and leggy.
Perfect partner
Pair it with English holly for a berry-packed winter corner: glossy evergreen leaves behind, red fans in front, and very happy birds.
Cotoneaster horizontalis is in our Autumn Sale right now, and you can use code GARDENCITYCYMRU for £5 off orders over £30. Grown peat-free in Wenvoe and dispatched within 48 hours.
Until next time, happy gardening!
Garden City Cymru