- Author: Leslie Stevens
- Editor: Noni Todd
By Leslie Stevens UCCE Master Gardener
Planting area: Sunset zones 2 -24; USDA Hardiness zones 5 - 10
Size: Approx. 1 foot tall by 12 feet wide on trailing stems
Bloom season: small white flowers in late spring
Exposure: full sun to light shade
Pruning Needs: prune primarily to remove dead or awkwardly growing branches
Water needs: moderate to little water once established
Snapshot: If you're looking for a low-maintenance groundcover, it's hard to beat Bearberry Cotoneaster. Its low arching branches can quickly cover 12 feet of flat ground or sloping hillsides. It thrives in poor soils and is thrifty with water.
Despite its toughness, this evergreen spreader provides year-round good looks. Tiny, fragrant white flowers dot the plant's dark-green elliptical leaves in spring. Bright red berries follow and last well into winter. And come fall, the leaves turn colorful shades of red and purple.
In addition to its visual appeal, this cotoneaster provides food for birds, tolerates air pollution and is considered fire resistant. It also thrives in all but the coldest and hottest climate zones.
A member of the Rosaceae family, cotoneasters are native to China, the Himalayas and northern India. More than a dozen known cotoneasters range from low groundcovers to 25-foot shrubs.