Cotoneaster horizontalis
Common name: 
Rockspray Cotoneaster
Rock Cotoneaster
Pronunciation: 
ko-toe-nee-AS-ter hor-i-zon-TA-lis
Family: 
Rosaceae
Genus: 
Cotoneaster
Type: 
Broadleaf
Native to (or naturalized in) Oregon: 
No
  • Deciduous shrub, 2-5 ft (0.6-1.5 m) tall by 10 ft (3 m) or more wide, layered (like a spray of water), low spreading; fish-bone branching habit.  Leaves small, about 10 mm long, lustrous dark green, may become dark red in fall.  Small pink flowers (5 mm diam.), single or in pairs in spring.  Fruit small (5 mm), bright red, in late summer and fall.
  • Sun to part shade.  Prefers well-drained, loose, fertile soil with adequate moisture, but tolerates dry, poor soils, and wind, pH adaptable.
  • Hardy to USDA Zone 5     Native to Western China.  The name, Rockspray Cotoneaster, is also applied to C. microphyllus (Sunset Western Garden Book, 2001).
  • horizontalis: refers to its horizontal habit
  • Corvallis: west of the stairs to the north (back) entrance of the Corvallis Library
  • Oregon State Univ. campus: east side (south end) of Gilbert, next to a Colorado Blue Spruce.
Click image to enlarge
  • plant habit, fruiting

    plant habit, fruiting

  • branching habit

    branching habit

  • leaves and fruit

    leaves and fruit

  • plant habit, fall, sunny location

    plant habit, fall, sunny location

  • leaves and fruit, fall

    leaves and fruit, fall

  • leaves, fall

    leaves, fall

  • branches, winter

    branches, winter