Plants that cover large areas of the garden, without growing tall, are always valuable and welcome. When they come with a bright display of white spring blooms, and a stunning show of red berries in fall, plus attractive glossy leaves, then no garden can be without such a plant. This is why the Coral Beauty Cotoneaster is such a popular plant – and a rewarding one too.

The Coral Beauty Cotoneaster is a low, spreading evergreen bush that usually stays between 12 and 18 inches tall, but spreads outwards to cover an area up to 6 feet or more across. The branches are a little like fish-bones, with a strong central stem and tightly packed narrow branches growing all along them. It is fast-growing, and the branches spread out in all directions, soon becoming a dense mound, that blocks out weeds, and makes an attractive plant of a charming, slightly irregular form. The small leaves are 1¼ inches long and 5/8 of an inch wide, with a leathery texture. They are deep green on the upper surface, and gray-green on the bottom, with a rich, glossy sheen on the top. In fall and into winter they become reddish to purple, adding an interesting touch to the winter garden.

In May – or June in colder zones – small white flowers, with 5 open petals, grow all along the stems, singly or in pairs. These are about ½ inch across, but their profusion makes an attractive display. These become small berries which are green in summer, and then turn bright, orange-red by late summer or early fall. These cover the plants profusely, making a beautiful display. They last well into winter, and they are eventually taken by birds or animals as valuable winter food.

Grow the Coral Beauty Cotoneaster as a ground cover in the front of shrub beds. In the foundation planting around your home it looks great with taller evergreens behind it, and it won’t block even windows that come to the floor. Use it in garden beds to add beauty in front of taller shrubs, without blocking them. It is perfect for covering sloping ground, as the roots and stems prevent soil erosion, and the cascading effect of the branches is simply beautiful. Grow it among rocks and boulders, with other low-growing plants, to turn a pile of rocks into a garden feature. Use it to edge a driveway, broad path or terrace. It is best planted in beds that are edged by hard surfaces, such as driveways or terraces, rather than with lawns, as its spreading habit may lead it to grow across the grass if you have planted too close to the front of the bed. Use it around trees in large planters and boxes, to finish the planting and cover the bare soil. Colorful in all seasons, this is one of the most useful plants in the garden.

The Coral Beauty Cotoneaster grows from zone 5 to zone 9, although it does not like the hot and humid conditions in zones 8 and 9 in the south-east. It grows best in very well-drained to gravelly soils, and it should not be planted in wet ground. It is drought resistant once established, but a steady supply of water will give the best results. It rarely suffers from any pests or diseases, and it needs very little care to thrive and bring beauty to your garden. Older plants should have some branches removed close to the ground in spring, to encourage new growth, as plants can become woody over time. Thin out a few older stems each year, but otherwise no significant care is needed. Always allow enough room for it to spread, as hard trimming will destroy the natural arching form, and diminish the beauty of this plant.

The cotoneaster variety called ‘Coral Beauty’ is a selected form of the bearberry cotoneaster, Cotoneaster dammeri. This plant grows wild in southern China, where it is found in mountainous areas, and open forest, often on cliff sides and stony ground. This particular plant was selected because it is more winter hardy, and with a heavier crop of berries, than wild plants. It began as a seedling found in 1967 at the nursery of W. Hoogendoorn and Sons, in the town of Boskoop, The Netherlands. It is also known as ‘Royal Beauty’, ‘Royal Carpet’ or ‘Pink Beauty’. Our plants are grown from selected stem pieces taken from healthy plants of this exact variety, and not grown from seed, which will give very variable and unreliable plants. Although it has been grown for many years, this plant has no equal for toughness and beauty, so the demand is always strong, and our stock will be gone soon. Order now and settle back for relaxed gardening.