Bearberry Cotoneaster                ko-toe-nee-AS-ter DAM-er-i

• Evergreen (in mild winter areas, such as western Oregon) or semi-evergreen (in colder climates), prostrate ground cover, 30-45 cm high, slender-creeping branches which root readily when in contact with soil.  Leaves alternate, simple, small (2-3 cm long), elliptic to elliptic-oblong, lustrous dark green above, glaucescent and slightly reticulate below, purplish tinge in late fall and winter; petiole 5 mm long.  Fruit 6 mm diam., bright red, solitary or occasionally paired.
• Sun to part shade.  Adaptable but prefers well-drained soil.  An easy cotoneaster to grow.  Often used on banks and slopes as a shrub border.
• Hardy to USDA Zone 5     Native to Central China.
• Several selections available, including:
  • ‘Coral Beauty’  (‘Pink Beauty, Royal Beauty’)  -  low growing to 2 ft (0.6 m) high and spreading to 6 ft (1.8 m), glossy green leaves, fairly heavy fruiting, fruit coral red.  Possibly more than one selection under this name, Sunset Western Garden Book lists it as growing only to 6 inches (15 cm) high.
  • ‘Eichholz’  (‘Oakwood’)  -  low growing to about 1 ft (0.2 m) high, spreading to 8 ft (2.4 m), leaves small (only 12-20 mm long), suggesting that it may be a cross between C. dammeri and C. microphyllus.
  • ‘Mooncreeper’   (‘Moon Creeper’) -  very low growing, mat forming, dark green foliage.
  • ‘Lowfast’  -  mat forming, vigorous, to 6-10 inches (15-25 cm) high, glossy dark green leaves, abundant glossy red fruit.
• Oregon State Univ. campus: south side of Milam (in planter)