Cotoneaster horizontalis
Overview
Uses: Slopes, rock gardens, spilling over walls, and low foundation plantings.
Benefits: A classic low shrub with flat, fishbone-patterned branches that spread wide and drape over walls and rocks. Small pink spring flowers are followed by red berries, and the glossy leaves turn red and orange in fall.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–7
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Deciduous Shrub
Growth Habit: Spreading, Groundcover — flat, layered branches in a herringbone pattern.
Bloom Color: Pink
Foliage Color: Glossy Green, turning Red and Orange in fall
Mature Height: 2–3 feet
Mature Width: 5–8 feet
Bloom Season: Spring
Growth Rate: Moderate
Summary
Flat, layered branches that look carved, draped over a wall or spilling down a bank.
Rockspray cotoneaster has one of the most distinctive structures of any shrub. Its branches grow outward in flat, horizontal tiers, and each one carries short side shoots in a regular, alternating pattern that looks like the bones of a fish or a herringbone weave. Stacked in layers two to three feet high and spreading five to eight feet, the effect is architectural, especially draped over a retaining wall, a boulder, or the edge of a set of steps.
In spring, tiny pink flowers line the branches, and by late summer they have become bright red berries. In fall the small, glossy leaves turn red and orange before dropping, and the bare herringbone pattern remains visible all winter.
It is a durable, adaptable plant that handles average to lean soil and dry spells once established, making it a natural fit for slopes, rock gardens, and the hot, dry edges of walls and walks.
Care
Rockspray Cotoneaster Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. Full sun produces the most berries and the strongest fall color.
Any well-drained soil works, including rocky and sandy ground. Avoid poorly drained sites where water stands after rain.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season while roots establish. After that, plants handle dry periods well and need water only during extended drought. Mulch around young plants to hold moisture and keep weeds out while the branches spread.
Feeding needs are light. One application of a slow release fertilizer in early spring is plenty, and established plants often need none.
Prune lightly, and only to remove dead wood or a branch growing where it is not wanted. Cut back to a side branch rather than shearing, which destroys the layered herringbone pattern that gives the plant its character. Late winter, when the branch structure is easy to see, is the best time.
Size
What Size is the Rockspray Cotoneaster for Sale Online?
Our Rockspray Cotoneaster ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. Plants ship dormant or near dormant in the off-season, so they may arrive with few or no leaves. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Rockspray Cotoneaster Grow?
Expect about 2 to 3 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide at maturity, in a low, flat, layered shape. Against a wall it may climb a little higher, pressing its branches flat to the surface. Space plants about 4 to 5 feet apart to cover a bank.
Additional Information
What are some common names for this plant?
- Rockspray cotoneaster
- Rock cotoneaster
- Herringbone cotoneaster
Where does it look best?
Anywhere its flat branch pattern can be seen from above or the side: draped over a retaining wall, spilling across boulders in a rock garden, or covering a slope beside steps. Planted against a low wall, it will press its branches flat along the surface. Explore more Groundcovers.
Does it attract pollinators and birds?
Yes. The small spring flowers are popular with bees, and the red berries are eaten by birds in fall and winter.
Is there winter interest after the leaves drop?
Yes. Once the leaves fall, the bare branches show off their herringbone pattern clearly, and any berries the birds have not taken stand out on the stems. For more shrubs with year-round structure, see our Shrubs & Bushes.
