We transform a summer cottage into a garden of delights using popular types and varieties of cotoneaster
In our volatile world, people are often exposed to stressful situations. It is a great idea to meet and grow popular types and varieties of cotoneaster at their summer cottage. This unusual plant requires special care at an early stage of development, but subsequently it transforms the garden into a colorful resting place.
Some gardeners believe that dogwood and cotoneaster are one and the same plant. They actually belong to different families. The cotoneaster is a low deciduous decorative shrub... Whereas dogwood is a plant that bears delicious fruits. Various types and varieties of cotoneaster are used to decorate garden areas, city parks and suburban areas. Original hedges are formed from it, and also used for alpine slides. The view of the cotoneaster is especially impressive in autumn, when its foliage turns red, shimmering in the rays of sunlight.
The shrub is prized for the glossy fruits of scarlet or black coloring, which hang on the branches for a long time, attracting everyone's attention.
Attractive cotoneaster touches
Describing this unpretentious shrub, we immediately note its extraordinary constancy. He is able to delight his fans for about 50 years in one place. For some, this is comparable to a lifetime.
Depending on the variety, cotoneaster is evergreen and deciduous. The plant is especially attractive in autumn, when its miniature egg-shaped foliage acquires bright colors. During flowering, brushes appear on the bushes, consisting of small buds of pink and snow-white color. Over time, in their place, original green fruits are formed, similar to miniature apples. At the end of August, they acquire a new color that matches the species:
- the black;
- red;
- redhead;
- Orange;
- coral.
Inside the "apple" there are several seeds (from 2 to 5 pieces). The unique root system of the cotoneaster is located practically on the ground surface. Therefore, the plant is planted on slopes to retain the topsoil. Depending on the variety, the crown of the cotoneaster can be either creeping or erect. Some of them grow in the form of compact trees, not exceeding 10 m. The cotoneaster does not need additional watering. It is enough just to wash off the dust from it, if it does not rain for a long time.
The wood of this shrub is used to make some garden tools.
Popular types and varieties of cotoneaster for landscaping a garden plot
Biologists have about 80 varieties of this cute plant, which are planted to form landscapes of city parks and suburban areas. Let's get acquainted with some of them in order to choose the right option for ourselves.
Ordinary
The shrub is a deciduous plant that grows up to 2 meters in height.Its young stems are abundantly covered with villi, which disappear with age. In the photo of the common cotoneaster, ovoid leaf plates of a matte nature are clearly visible. The upper part of them is painted dark green, and the back, thanks to the felt fibers, has a grayish or white tint. In early spring, corymbose inflorescences appear on the shrub, which consist of 2 or 4 buds. Over time, bright red spherical fruits grow in their place.
Since the plant is excellent in winter and dry summer seasons, it can be grown in mid-latitudes.
Pressed (cotoneaster adpressus)
This shrub is well known to the inhabitants of the western regions of China, where it grows in its natural environment. The cotoneaster is flattened or raised and likes open mountain slopes. It grows only up to half a meter, but it has a lush crown, consisting of many branches of crimson color. Its ovoid leaf plates are distinguished by a pointed tip and serrated edges. Flowering begins at the end of May, when the plant wears a shawl of deep pink buds. And already at the end of summer, red fruits of a glossy character appear.
To breed cotoneaster adpressus, it is enough to purchase a few cuttings and follow all the rules for its cultivation. As a result, an exquisite shrub with decorative bright fruits will appear in the garden.
Horizontal
This original cotoneaster has long been used to decorate gardens in the American continent and in the countries of the East. Some varieties of horizontal cotoneaster are grown in botanical gardens. Despite this, the plant is popular with gardeners.
A particularly conspicuous subspecies of the shrub is "Variegatus". It is a creeping plant up to 30 cm high. However, shoots can grow up to 2 m in length. Interestingly, the horizontal cotoneaster growing in southern latitudes is considered an evergreen plant. And in areas with a cool climate - deciduous.
Its main decorative feature is its rounded leaf plates. They are colored deep dark green. Each of them has a snow-white border, which gives them a stylish look. The shrub blooms with pale pink buds in late May. And in September, scarlet spherical fruits appear.
Horizontal cotoneaster Perpusillis is presented in the form of a spread plant, which reaches 100 cm in diameter. Although its height barely reaches 30 cm, the emerald-colored foliage attracts special attention. Fleshy and dense plates have a smooth shiny surface. In autumn, they acquire a crimson hue.
Dammeri (cotoneaster dammeri)
A unique version of miniature shrubs, which grows only up to 150 cm in height, will appeal to fans of lush greenery. An adult dammer cotoneaster is capable of covering an area of about 1 m with its shoots. Its leaf plates have a rather dense texture, leathery, rich green color. During flowering, nondescript coral buds appear. But in their place, red fruits with a glossy finish are formed. They remain on the shoots all winter, like bright drops of blood, attracting birds to them. The cotoneaster dammeri shrub requires little maintenance. It is even grown in containers for decoration. garden terraces.
In addition, breeders have bred several hybrids of Dammer's cotoneaster. The most popular ones are familiar to many gardeners:
- Stockholm;
- Coral Beauty;
- Eihola.
Cotoneaster Stockholm is considered a semi-evergreen plant. It has many branching shoots covered with dark green glossy foliage. At the end of the season, it takes on an orange or purple color. It blooms at the end of May with miniature white-pink buds, which turn into bright red fruits by autumn.
Cotoneaster Coral Beauty is a miniature evergreen shrub 50 cm high.Its spreading branches cover an area up to 2 meters wide. A lot of shiny leaves of dark green coloring, up to 2 cm in size, grow on them. The coral beauty cotoneaster blooms with white buds. They exude a delicate and pleasant aroma. Scarlet fruits hang on the branches until the beginning of the next season.
Small-leaved (cotoneaster lucidus)
This species belongs to frost-resistant shrubs that miraculously endure the harsh winters of central Russia. In the photo of the small-leaved cotoneaster, you can see glossy leaves in the shape of an ellipse. The front side of the plate is colored dark green. And the back is much lighter, which gives the shrub a special decorative look. Flowering is observed at the end of May, when the plant covers many white flowers. After successful pollination, the shrub bears orange or red rounded fruits.
Brilliant (cotoneaster lucidus)
The homeland of the plant is the eastern part of Siberia, where it grows up to 2 m in height. There it occurs as solitary specimens and dense thickets. Brilliant cotoneaster (cotoneaster lucidus) belongs to deciduous shrubs. The plates have a smooth surface with a shiny coating, hence the name of the variety. Shoots are generally erect. During flowering, among the greenery, white buds are visible, collected in corymbose clusters. They are fragrant on the bush for about 30 days, exuding a refined aroma. The diameter of the crown of a shiny cotoneaster reaches 3 m. This makes it possible to widely use it for landscape design.
Black-fruited (cotoneaster melanocarpus)
The plant is found in forest thickets in Europe, the Far East and China. Some specimens are grown in nature reserves and are under close protection. Black cotoneaster grows up to 2 m in height and is distinguished by a red-brown coating of branches and black fruits. The egg-shaped foliage is painted in two colors: from above - dark green, from below - white-felt. The shrub begins to bloom, reaching 5 years of age. The buds are full of beauty for up to 25 days.
On the provided photo of the black cotoneaster, you can see all its charms, and if possible, even fall in love with this unusual bush. Many gardeners have appreciated its resistance to temperature extremes and adverse environmental conditions. It perfectly takes root along dusty city roads and is widely used to decorate summer cottages.
The fruits of the black cotoneaster resemble miniature apples or mountain ash. They ripen in early autumn and are no more than 1 cm in diameter. Inside, the berries contain several miniature seeds that give them unprecedented strength. They remain on the branches of the plant for the whole winter. Unlike other varieties, cotoneaster melanocarpus fruits are considered edible, but differ significantly from dogwood.
The berries of this plant are widely used in traditional and folk medicine. They are also added to natural wines. Often, tinctures or decoctions are prepared. Edible cotoneaster does not have a pronounced taste, but is a fairly popular delicacy.
Willow
The cotoneaster of this variety belongs to conditionally evergreen shrubs, since its foliage remains on the branches all winter. The culture grows no higher than half a meter. But it spreads along the ground about 2 m from the main trunk. The shrub blooms with white buds, collected in corymbose brushes. In the photo, the willow cotoneaster is presented in all its glory, as it happens on the territory of the garden.
Alaunsky
In its natural environment, the plant can be found in the elevated places of central Russia. This dwarf shrub grows up to 150 cm. In early spring, its tender shoots are covered with villi, which disappear with the onset of summer. They turn slightly reddish in autumn. The fruits of the Alaun cotoneaster are most often scarlet and covered with a bluish bloom. The plant is under state protection and is listed in the Red Book.Those wishing to grow this miracle of nature are honored and praised by nature conservationists.
The plant is often called the Central Russian cotoneaster, according to the place of its growth in nature.
Spread out
This shrub has a spreading crown and grows up to one and a half meters in height. Platinum leafs that cover the shoots are dark green in color. The diameter is only 2 cm. The foliage is ovoid. All these features are clearly visible in the photo of the wide-spread cotoneaster.
The plant blooms with white buds, which are collected in special sinuses, 3 pieces each. Later, reddish fruits appear. The plant is not prone to disease and is considered a fairly hardy variety.
Holly
The plant comes from China, but has a high level of frost resistance. Holly cotoneaster is widely used to form hedges. It has erect shoots with glossy, pointed foliage. When young, they are slightly pubescent, which gives them a certain charm. During the flowering period, the shrub wears a “mantle” of red buds for 30 days. A few months later, black spherical berries appear on the cotoneaster. They remain on it until the new season, for which the variety is very much appreciated by gardeners.