Common Name: cotoneaster
Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Family: Rosaceae
Native Range: Himalayas
Zone: 5 to 9
Height: 0.50 to 1.00 feet
Spread: 0.50 to 1.50 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Evergreen
Attracts: Birds
Fruit: Showy
Other: Winter Interest
Tolerate: Rabbit, Drought, Erosion, Air Pollution
Culture
Best grown in moist, loamy, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Good drainage is essential. A tough and adaptable plant that can withstand considerable drought once established. May not be reliably winter hardy throughout USDA Zone 5 where it should be sited in a protected location.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Cotoneaster astrophoros is a low-growing, mat-forming, broadleaf evergreen shrub. It features tiny, white, five-petaled, star-shaped flowers in spring followed by bright red berries (1/4” diameter). Small dark green leaves. Synonymous with and formerly known as C. microphylla ‘Teulon Porter’.
Genus name comes from the Latin cotonea meaning "quince" and aster meaning "resembling" or "similar to".
Problems
Susceptible to fireblight, leaf spots and canker. Watch for aphids, cotoneaster webworm and lacebugs. Mites may appear, particularly in hot and dry conditions.
Uses
Mass as a woody ground cover for sunny areas in the landscape including banks or slopes where it can also provide good erosion control. Sprawl over rocks in rock gardens or cascade over stone walls.