Cotoneaster apiculatus - Cranberry Cotoneaster (Rosaceae) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cotoneaster apiculatus is a low arching to mounding Fruits shrub, with glossy small leaves and prominent -red, maturing in late Aug. and a very effective globular red fruits. Cranberry Cotoneaster is often contrast in late summer and early autumn while the utilized as an edging or facer shrub or as a tall foliage is still a glossy dark green groundcover. -0.25" diameter and persistent into early winter -effective display when in mass plantings FEATURES Twigs Form -red-purple with persistent pubescence -low sprawling -older stems olive-brown and lenticeled deciduous shrub or -branches continuously arching with numerous side moderately tall branchlets woody groundcover -buds very small -maturing at 1.5' tall Trunk x 5' wide -not applicable -arching mound and spreading mound USAGE growth habit, with Function branches sometimes -shrub or groundcover effective as an edging, facer, rooting as they touch the ground embankment, mass planting, low barrier, foundation, wall, or -slow growth rate raised planter (short cascading effect) woody plant Culture Texture -full sun to partial shade -fine texture in foliage but medium when bare -prefers moist, well-drained soils but is very urban -open density in foliage and when bare stress tolerant, including poor soils, soil pHs, drought, Assets pruning, salt spray, and some soil compaction -lustrous dark green foliage -propagated by rooted cuttings or seeds -arching branches -Rose Family, with the primary pest problem being -red cranberry-like fruits (hence the common name) that are spider mites that cause cosmetic leaf damage, and dense and persistent into early winter occasionally fireblight disease to the young stems -salt spray tolerant -mulch to prevent weeds from arising through the Liabilities center of the shrub, due to the small foliage that allows -garbage and dead leaf collector because of low, arching, light penetration to the ground many-stemmed profile -abundantly available in containers -slow growth Foliage -spider mites are a frequent foliage cosmetic problem, -dark glossy green especially when the plant is under heat and drought stress in -alternate and small, to 0.5" long summer -broadly elliptical Habitat to rhombic, with -Zones 5 to 7 an acute tip and an -Native to Western China undulating leaf margin SELECTIONS -spider mite Alternates cosmetic leaf -other low-profile groundcover shrubs, especially those with damage, especially arching stems, attractive foliage, and/or showy fruits during hot and dry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Erica, Juniperus conferta, summers, is Juniperus horizontalis, Microbiota decussata, Mitchella common in this repens, etc.) species Cultivars – Variants – Related species -autumn color is a -Cotoneaster adpressus 'Little Gem' (also known as mixture of green, Cotoneaster apiculatus 'Tom Thumb'), with its species or yellow, orange, hybrid parentage sometimes placed under Cotoneaster red, and wine, adpressus or Cotoneaster horizontalis) - a truly compact slowly absicing form, with miniature crinkled leaves and very thin stems that radiate from the center of the shrub, to 1' tall x 2' wide, with Flowers very slow growth and essentially no flowers nor fruits; -pink buds opening to white-pink flowers tightly attractive as a dwarf specimen shrub, but very prone to pressed to the stems, in late May and early June webworm -many very small clustered flowers -pendulous, arching, or weeping woody plants are -effective as a whole plant in flower, especially up- sometimes grafted onto vertical stems of the same close, but not overwhelming genus, for a more dramatic impact, and Cranberry Cotoneaster is an example of this practice, sometimes sold on 1.5-5' "standards".