Cotoneaster Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607 is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, native to the Palaearctic region (temperate Asia, Europe, north Africa), with a strong concentration of diversity in the genus in the mountains of southwestern China and the Himalayas.Flora of China: Cotoneaster (includes most of the world's Cotoneaster species) www.efloras.org They are related to hawthorns (Crataegus), firethorns (Pyracantha), photinias (Photinia), and rowans (Sorbus).
Depending on the species definition used, between 70 and 300 different species of Cotoneaster are described, with many apomictic microspecies treated as species by some authors, but only as varieties by others.Bean, W. J. (1976). Trees and Shrubs Hardy in the British Isles 8th edition. John Murray .
Description Vegetative characteristics The majority of species are shrubs from tall, varying from ground-hugging prostrate plants to erect shrubs; a few, notably C. frigidus, are small to medium-size trees up to tall and trunk diameter. The prostrate species are mostly alpine plants growing at high altitudes (e.g. C. integrifolius, which grows at in the Himalayas), while the larger species occur in scrub and woodland gaps at lower altitudes. The shoots are dimorphic, with long shoots ( long) producing structural branch growth, and short shoots ( long) bearing the flowers; this pattern often developing a 'herringbone' form of branching. The leaves are arranged alternately, long, ovate to lanceolate in shape, entire; both evergreen and deciduous species occur. Generative characteristics Flowers are produced from late spring to early summer, either solitarily or in corymbs of up to 100 flowers. The flower is either fully open or has its five petals partially open, with a diameter of approximately meters. They may be any shade from white through creamy white to light pink to dark pink to almost red, 10–20 stamens and up to five styles. The fruit is a small pome measuring approximately in diameter, and it can be pink or bright red, orange or even maroon or black when mature, containing one to three (rarely up to five) seeds.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan . Fruit on some species stays on until the following year.
Taxonomy It was described by Friedrich Kasimir Medikus in 1789Cotoneaster Medik. (n.d.). Plants of the World Online. Retrieved July 26, 2026, from https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:30040667-2 with Cotoneaster integerrimus as the type species.Missouri Botanical Garden. (n.d.). Cotoneaster Medik. Tropicos. Retrieved July 26, 2026, from https://www.tropicos.org/name/40015232 The genus name Cotoneaster derives from cotoneum, a Latin name for the quince, and the suffix -aster, 'resembling'. The name is correctly masculine, though in some older works it was wrongly treated as feminine, resulting in different name endings for many of the species (e.g.Cotoneaster integerrima instead of Cotoneaster integerrimus).
The genus is often divided into two or more sections, though the situation is complicated by hybridisation: Cotoneaster sect. Cotoneaster (syn. sect. Orthopetalum). Flowers solitary or up to 6 together; petals forward-pointing, often tinged pink. Mostly smaller shrubs. Cotoneaster sect. Chaenopetalum. Flowers more than 20 together in corymbs; petals opening flat, creamy white. Mostly larger shrubs. Species
Cotoneaster acuminatus Lindl. Cotoneaster acutifolius Turcz. – Peking cotoneaster Cotoneaster acutiusculus Pojark. Cotoneaster adpressus Bois – creeping cotoneaster Cotoneaster aestivalis (Walter) Wenz. Cotoneaster affinis Lindl. – purpleberry cotoneaster Cotoneaster afghanicus G.Klotz Cotoneaster aitchisoni C.K.Schneid. Cotoneaster alashanensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster alatavicus Popov Cotoneaster alaunicus Golitsin Cotoneaster albokermesinus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster allanderi J.Fryer Cotoneaster allochrous Pojark. Cotoneaster altaicus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster ambiguus Rehder & E.H.Wilson Cotoneaster amoenus E.H.Wilson – beautiful cotoneaster Cotoneaster amphigenus Chaten. Cotoneaster annapurnae J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster angustifolius Franch. Cotoneaster angustus (T.T.Yu) G.Klotz Cotoneaster antoninae Juz. & N.I.Orlova Cotoneaster apiculatus Rehder & E.H.Wilson – cranberry cotoneaster or apiculate cotoneaster Cotoneaster applanatus Duthie ex J.H.Veitch Cotoneaster arborescens Zabel. Cotoneaster arbusculus G.Klotz Cotoneaster argenteus G.Klotz Cotoneaster armenus Pojark. Cotoneaster arvernensis Gand. Cotoneaster ascendens Flinck & B.Hylmö – ascending cotoneaster Cotoneaster assadii Khat. Cotoneaster assamensis G.Klotz Cotoneaster astrophoros J.Fryer & E.C.Nelson – starry cotoneaster Cotoneaster ataensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster atlanticus G.Klotz Cotoneaster atropurpureus Flinck & B.Hylmö – purple-flowered cotoneaster Cotoneaster atrovirens J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster atuntzensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster auranticus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster bacillaris Wall. ex Lindl. – open-fruited cotoneaster Cotoneaster baenitzii Pax Cotoneaster bakeri G.Klotz Cotoneaster balticus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster bilokonii Grevtsova Cotoneaster bisramianus G.Klotz Cotoneaster bitahaiensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster blinii H.Lév. Cotoneaster bodinieri H.Lév. Cotoneaster boisianus G.Klotz – Bois's cotoneaster Cotoneaster borealichinensis (Hurus.) Hurus. Cotoneaster borealis Petz. & G.Kirchn. Cotoneaster brachypodus Pojark. ex Zakirov Cotoneaster bradyi E.C.Nelson J.Fryer – Brady's cotoneaster Cotoneaster brandisii G.Klotz Cotoneaster brevirameus Rehder & Wilson Cotoneaster brickelli J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster browiczii J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster bullatus Bois – hollyberry cotoneaster Cotoneaster bumthangensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster burmanicus G.Klotz Cotoneaster buxifolius Wall. ex Lindl. – box-leaved cotoneaster Cotoneaster californicus A.Murray bis Cotoneaster calocarpus (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) Flinck & B.Hylmö – Sikang cotoneaster Cotoneaster cambricus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö – wild cotoneaster Cotoneaster camilli-schneideri Pojark. Cotoneaster campanulatus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster canescens Vestergr. ex B.Hylmö Cotoneaster capsicinus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster cardinalis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster cashmiriensis G.Klotz – Kashmir cotoneaster Cotoneaster cavei G.Klotz Cotoneaster chaffanjonii H.Lév. Cotoneaster chailaricus (G.Klotz) Flinck & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster chengkangensis T.T.Yu Cotoneaster chrysobotrys Hand. – Mazz. Cotoneaster chulingensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster chungtiensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster cinerascens (Rehder) Flinck & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster cinnabarinus Juz. Cotoneaster coadunatus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster coccineus Steud. Cotoneaster cochleatus (Franch.) G.Klotz – Yunnan cotoneaster Cotoneaster commixtus (C.K.Schneid.) Flinck & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster comptus Lem. Cotoneaster confusus G.Klotz Cotoneaster congestus Baker – congested cotoneaster Cotoneaster conspicuus C.Marquand – Tibetan cotoneaster Cotoneaster convexus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster cooperi C.Marquand – Cooper's cotoneaster Cotoneaster cordatus Focke Cotoneaster cordifolioides G.Klotz Cotoneaster cordifolius G.Klotz Cotoneaster coreanus H.Lév. Cotoneaster coriaceus Franch. Cotoneaster cornifolius Rehder & E.H.Wilson Cotoneaster cossineus Steud. Cotoneaster crenulatus (D.Don) K.Koch Cotoneaster creticus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster crispii Exell Cotoneaster cuilus Lee ex K.Koch Cotoneaster cuspidatus C.Marquand ex J.Fryer Cotoneaster daliensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster dammeri C.K.Schneid. – bearberry cotoneaster Cotoneaster daralagesicus Grevtsova Cotoneaster davidianus hort. ex Dippel Cotoneaster decandrus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster declinatus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster degenensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster delavayanus G.Klotz Cotoneaster delphinensis Chatenier Cotoneaster denticulatus Kunth Cotoneaster dielsianus E.Pritz. ex Diels – Diels' cotoneaster Cotoneaster difficilis G.Klotz Cotoneaster discolor Pojark. Cotoneaster dissimilis G.Klotz Cotoneaster distichus Lange Cotoneaster divaricatus Rehder & E.H.Wilson – spreading cotoneaster Cotoneaster dojamensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster dokeriensis G.Klotz Cotoneaster drogochius J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster duthieanus (C.K.Schneid.) G.Klotz Cotoneaster elatus G.Klotz Cotoneaster elegans (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) Flinck & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster ellipticus (Lindl.) Loudon – Lindley's cotoneaster Cotoneaster emarginatus hort. ex K.Koch Cotoneaster emeiensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster encavei J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster eriocarpus hort. Cotoneaster erratus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster erzincanicus J.Fryer Cotoneaster esfandiarii Khat. Cotoneaster esquirolii H.Lév. Cotoneaster estonicus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster falconeri G.Klotz Cotoneaster fangianus T.T.Yu – Fang's cotoneaster Cotoneaster farreri Klotzsch Cotoneaster fastigiatus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster favargeri J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster fletcheri G.Klotz Cotoneaster flinckii J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster floccosus (Rehder & E.H.Wilson) Flinck & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster floridus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster fontanesii Grossh. Cotoneaster formosanus Hayata Cotoneaster forrestii G.Klotz Cotoneaster fortunei Wenz. Cotoneaster foveolatus Rehder & E.H.Wilson Cotoneaster franchetii Bois – Franchet's cotoneaster or orange cotoneaster Cotoneaster frigidus Wall. ex Lindl. – tree cotoneaster Cotoneaster froebelii Vilm. Cotoneaster fruticosus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster fulvidus (W.W.Sm.) G.Klotz Cotoneaster gamblei G.Klotz Cotoneaster ganghobaensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster garhwalensis G.Klotz Cotoneaster genitianus Hurus. ex Nakai Cotoneaster gesneri Kirschl. Cotoneaster gilgitensis G.Klotz Cotoneaster girardii Flinck & B.Hylmö ex G.Klotz Cotoneaster glabratus Rehder & E.H.Wilson – glabrous cotoneaster Cotoneaster glacialis (Hook.f. ex Wenz.) Panigrahi & Arv.Kumar Cotoneaster glaucophyllus Franch. – glaucous cotoneaster Cotoneaster globosus (Hurus.) G.Klotz Cotoneaster glomerulatus W.W.Sm. Cotoneaster goloskokovii Pojark. Cotoneaster gonggashanensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster gotlandicus B.Hylmö Cotoneaster gracilis Rehder & E.H.Wilson Cotoneaster grammontii hort. ex K.Koch Cotoneaster granatensis Boiss Cotoneaster griffithii G.Klotz Cotoneaster guanmenensis J.Fryer Cotoneaster handel-mazzettii G.Klotz Cotoneaster harrovianus E.H.Wilson Cotoneaster harrysmithii Flinck & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster hebephyllus Diels Cotoneaster hedegaardii J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster henryanus (C.K.Schneid.) Rehder & E.H.Wilson – Henry's cotoneaster Cotoneaster hersianus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster heterophyllus J.Fryer Cotoneaster hicksii J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster himaleiensis hort. ex Zabel Cotoneaster himalayensis hort. ex Lavallee Cotoneaster hissaricus Pojark. – circular-leaved cotoneaster Cotoneaster hjelmqvistii Flinck & B.Hylmö – Hjelmqvist's cotoneaster Cotoneaster hodjingensis G.Klotz Cotoneaster hookeri hort. ex Zabel Cotoneaster hookerianus hort. ex Lavallee Cotoneaster horizontalis Decne. – wall cotoneaster or rock cotoneaster Cotoneaster hsingshangensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö – Hsing-Shan cotoneaster Cotoneaster hualiensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster humifusus Duthie ex J.H.Veitch Cotoneaster humilis Donn Cotoneaster hummelii J.Fryer & B.Hylmö – Hummel's cotoneaster Cotoneaster hunanensis J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster hupehensis Rehder & E.H.Wilson – Hupeh cotoneaster Cotoneaster hurusawaianus G.Klotz – Hurusawa's cotoneaster Cotoneaster hylanderi B.Hylmö & J.Fryer Cotoneaster hymalaicus Carriere Cotoneaster hylmoei Flinck & J.Fryer – Hylmö's cotoneaster Cotoneaster hypocarpus J.Fryer & B.Hylmö Cotoneaster ichangensis G.Klotz Cotoneaster ignavus E.L.Wolf