Bearberry cotoneaster

Questions about bearberry cotoneaster

Does bearberry cotoneaster need sun or shade?

Bearberry cotoneaster grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day) and part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun).

It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and little watering once settled. Once settled in, it stands drought.

What zones does bearberry cotoneaster grow in?

USDA zones 5 to 8. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does bearberry cotoneaster flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers late May to mid June. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should bearberry cotoneaster be planted?

4 ft (120 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 6 ft (180 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 12 in (30 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many bearberry cotoneaster plants do I need?

Usually one. At 4 ft (120 cm) across, it is a plant you place, not one you mass. For a hedge or screen, set them 4 ft apart: three plants for a 10 ft run.

In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.

Is bearberry cotoneaster poisonous to dogs and cats?

No toxicity is recorded for dogs, cats, horses or people, according to NC State Extension.

"Not toxic" is not "edible": a pet that eats a lot of any plant can be sick.

Is there a native plant like bearberry cotoneaster?

Bearberry cotoneaster comes from Tibet to Central China. These North American natives come closest to doing its job:

• Lingonberry: the same job in a bed and the same flowering time; 4 in shorter, 2½ ft narrower.
• Cliff green: the same job in a bed; 24 in narrower, grown for its leaves, not its flowers.
• Mountain avens: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 9 in shorter, 2½ ft narrower.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

Do deer eat bearberry cotoneaster?

Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.

Will bearberry cotoneaster spread?

It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads steadily by creeping stems. It is easy to pull out, but needs a firm edge.

What flowers after bearberry cotoneaster?

Bearberry cotoneaster is over by mid June. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall (a recorded partner).
• Creeping thyme: from early June to mid July, 3 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Black-eyed Susan: from mid July to mid September, 24 in tall.

What does bearberry cotoneaster look like in winter?

Bearberry cotoneaster keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.

Is bearberry cotoneaster good for bees and butterflies?

Bearberry cotoneaster is visited by pollinators, butterflies and songbirds.