Willowleaf Cotoneaster in the Rosaceae (rose) family, is a drought-tolerant, evergreen to semi-evergreen, low-lying, small to medium-sized woody s hrub with an arched branching habit. It is tolerant of any well-drained loose soil and is frequently used for slopes and banks that are hard to mow. It spreads quickly so give it plenty of room to grow. It doesn't need any pruning unless you want to control it. Although native to the mountains, mixed areas and the west in China, it has been cultivated in more temperate climates worldwide. It can be grown in full sun to part shade in soil with good drainage and neutral pH. Many small white flowers appear in corymbs in June that give way to bright red fruit in the fall that persists in winter. The leaves may take on a purplish hue in winter. Propagation is by seed or stem cutting. Some cultivars may grow natively quite large. Depending on conditions over 5 meters in height. Depending on the cultivar, the willowleaf cotoneaster can be used as a hedge or a screen, in mass planting on hills or banks where you want to keep soil in place or anywhere where you think the red berries might draw the eye to serve as a focal point or a centerpiece in the garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to fire blight, scale insects and spider mites. It is also highly susceptible to Enterobacteria fire blight and has been used as a test species to test new methods of control.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.