Bearberry Cotoneaster

Bearberry cotoneaster is the low, spreading evergreen groundcover that drapes over walls, covers slopes, and fills the spaces between taller shrubs with a dense mat of small, glossy leaves. It hugs the ground at about two feet tall, spreading wider, and in spring produces small white flowers followed by bright red berries that persist into winter. The berries are the visual payoff, scattered like small jewels across the dark green foliage through November and December. Native to central China, it has become one of the most widely planted groundcover shrubs in the Pacific Northwest.

In Western Washington, bearberry cotoneaster handles full sun to part shade and adapts to most soils. Four diseases and four pests are tracked, including fire blight, the same bacterial disease that affects other Rosaceae family members. Fire blight typically enters through flowers during warm, wet spring weather. In most years, healthy plants in good sites are unaffected, but when conditions align, you can lose branches rapidly. Prune out affected wood at least twelve inches below the visible damage, sterilize your pruners between cuts, and do it during dry weather. Beyond fire blight, this is one of the most reliable groundcovers for bank stabilization, border edging, and mass planting in the region.