Wall cotoneaster is a deciduous shrub from China that grows low and spreading, or trained flat against a wall. It is grown mainly for ground cover and its glossy leaves, which turn purple in autumn, and for its red berries. It is tough and easy to grow in most gardens.
Family
Rosaceae (Rose family)
Grows as
Shrub
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water new plants regularly until established, then only in long dry spells.
Soil
Any well-drained garden soil, including poor or chalky soil.
Temperature
Hardy to around -20 °C.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Mildly toxic: Seeds and other parts of cotoneaster contain compounds that can cause mild stomach upset if eaten in quantity; the sources do not specifically address this species.
About
Cotoneaster atropurpureus, the purple-flowered cotoneaster, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cotoneaster of the family Rosaceae, native to the Hubei province of China. It is a prostrate, deciduous shrub growing to 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) wide. It can be used as groundcover or trained to ascend up a wall or other support. Its fan-shaped, arching branches bear small, rounded, glossy green leaves turning purple in autumn. Red/black flowers are followed by small, globose, scarlet fruits (pomes).
The cultivar 'Variegatus' (syn. C. horizontalis 'Variegatus'), with leaves margined in cream, turning red in autumn, is often seen in cultivation. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Cotoneaster atropurpureus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.