Plant Guide

Description:

An excellent wide spreading groundcover for garden or massing applications, featuring dense, dark green foliage, pinkish-white flowers in spring and large bright red fruit in fall; makes a great low maintenance shrubby groundcover

Ornamental Features

Praecox Cotoneaster is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent red berries from late summer to late fall. It features tiny clusters of shell pink flowers with rose tips along the branches in late spring. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The tiny glossy round leaves turn an outstanding brick red in the fall.

Landscape Attributes

Praecox Cotoneaster is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should not require much pruning, except when necessary, such as to remove dieback. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Praecox Cotoneaster is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover

Planting & Growing

Praecox Cotoneaster will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH, and is able to handle environmental salt. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.