Cotoneaster horizontalis (Wall Cotoneaster) – Herringbone Berrying Shrub (2L Pot)

A flat spreading shrub with branches in a herringbone pattern, autumn colour and red berries that feed the birds.

Cotoneaster horizontalis grows to about 60cm tall and 2m wide, its stiff branches fanning out in the neat herringbone pattern that gives it its name. The small glossy leaves turn red and orange before they fall, and the bright red berries that follow hang on into winter. In late spring the tiny pinkish white flowers are outstanding for bees and hoverflies, and blackbirds and thrushes take the berries through the cold months.

It will grow almost anywhere: full sun or partial shade, any reasonable soil, cold and exposed gardens, and seaside gardens too. Once established it copes with summer drought. It is happiest trained flat against a wall or fence, or left to spread over a bank or the front of a border. It needs no regular pruning beyond a light tidy after flowering. Cotoneaster horizontalis is listed on Schedule 9 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 in England and Wales, so plant it in the garden and never in the wild.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Wall cotoneaster, rock cotoneaster
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: About 60cm tall and up to 2m wide
• Growth Habit: Low, flat, spreading shrub with herringbone branches
• Perfect For: Walls, fences, banks, slopes, ground cover, rock gardens and wildlife borders
• Foliage: Small, glossy green leaves turning red and orange in autumn. Deciduous.
• Flowering Time: Late spring, followed by red berries from autumn into winter
• Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade, including cold, exposed and seaside gardens
• Soil Type: Well drained and reasonably fertile. It is not fussy.
• Hardiness: Fully hardy right across Britain, including cold and exposed gardens
• Maintenance: Low. Light tidy after flowering to keep the herringbone shape.
• Seasonal Interest: Spring flowers, autumn leaf colour, berries into winter
• Type: Hardy deciduous berrying shrub