My berry big blunder
For some crazy reason I ripped out a fabulous cotoneaster – and I’ve been kicking myself ever since
ABOUT five years ago, I decided to remove a mature cotoneaster from my garden. It wasn’t diseased or in bad shape. In fact, there was nothing wrong with it – the plant simply didn’t fit in with my plan to transform a tired-looking space.
Oh, how I wish I’d spared it. The 5ft-tall Cotoneaster conspicuus added a structural presence to a shady side return. Even now, I can picture in my mind every twist of its gnarled trunk and prolific display of small white flowers in summer. But it is in autumn when I miss this evergreen shrub the most – its branches would be smothered with masses of tiny, glossy red fruit that would last well into winter. Despite adding many fine plants to the space, I still don’t have any that come close to matching the cotoneaster’s late show of colour.
My advice to anyone considering evicting a cotoneaster is to pause before doing something you may live to regret.
Cotoneasters are closely related to other berry- bearers, such as pyracantha and hawthorn. They are native to temperate Asia, North Africa and Europe, with the biggest concentration found in the Himalayas and mountains of south-west China.
Only one is indigenous to Britain. Cotoneaster cambricus is restricted to Great Orme, the limestone headland above Llandudno. The plant used to be abundant but is now on the verge of extinction.
Before anyone tells me I’m mistaken, because there are cotoneasters growing in other parts of the country, let me explain. Cotoneaster dammeri, C. horizontalis and many popular garden varieties are among 45 species that have leapt the garden wall and become naturalised in woodland, heathland and other habitats.
As garden plants, they are very versatile. Leaves tend to be dark green and vary enormously in size and shape. But let’s face it, nobody grows cotoneasters for their foliage. The big draw is its long-lasting berries, which come in shades of red, orange, yellow, purple and black.
The fruit don’t just look good. They are popular with blackbirds, thrushes, fieldfares and other birds, with branches sometimes stripped clean in a cold snap. In fact, cotoneasters are a magnet for wildlife – the flowers are loved by bees and butterflies, and the leaves are eaten by caterpillars.
At the lower end of the height scale, Cotoneaster procumbens ‘Queen of Carpets’ is a ground-hugging plant, forming a 6 in-high evergreen mat that’s smothered with dark red berries from autumn. C. salicifolius ‘Gnom’ makes a slightly higher mound of lance-shaped leaves with red berries that ripen in November.
Cotoneaster splendens makes a handsome, 6ft-tall rounded shrub with bowing branches clothed with rounded green leaves that turn red in autumn. This deciduous species from China boasts pink blushed, white summer flowers that are followed by loads of jewel-like orange fruit.
Bred at Exbury Gardens in the New Forest, C. ‘Rothschildianus’ has a distinctive spreading habit, with attractive narrow leaves and yellow berries.
All cotoneasters prefer fertile, welldrained soil, but will tolerate drier condition if you improve the water- holding capacity of soil by digging in plenty of leaf mould or garden compost. Deciduous varieties do best in sun, while evergreen and semi-evergreen types will do well in sun or semi-shade. Early training is needed to build up a permanent framework. Remove any weak, crossing or badly placed branches with the aim of creating a balanced and attractive shape. When mature, simply cut out any dead, diseased or dying branches. Wayward shoots can also be removed to maintain symmetry.
Cotoneasters are largely trouble-free, but are susceptible to fireblight, a bacterial disease that starts with a few leaves shrivelling up and leads to entire branches dying. There’s no cure, so prune out infected growth.