Wall Cotoneaster

How to grow Wall Cotoneaster

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in autumn or spring. The flat herringbone branch pattern presses against a wall or steps without needing support, and it also works as low ground cover on a dry bank.

Pruning

Little needed. Shorten or remove wayward shoots in late winter, cutting back to a branch junction so the herringbone pattern is not spoiled.

Propagation

Semi-ripe cuttings in summer, or seed after cold stratification. Self-sown seedlings from bird-dropped berries are common.

Pests and diseases

Fireblight can cause blackened, withered shoots that look scorched; cut well back into healthy wood and dispose of the prunings. Cotoneaster webber caterpillars occasionally spin up sections of foliage.

Value to wildlife

Very good value for its size - bees work the small pink-tinged flowers hard in late spring, and the red berries are taken by blackbirds, thrushes and waxwings.

Notes

This species is listed as an invasive non-native in Great Britain and it is an offence to plant it or cause it to grow in the wild; birds spread the seed readily into limestone grassland and old walls. If you already have it, that is not a problem, but think carefully before planting more, particularly near open countryside.

Some structured details on this page (such as tolerances, pH and hardiness) come from USDA PLANTS Database (public domain). The written guidance is GardenDecoded's own, researched as described in our editorial policy.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Cotoneaster horizontalis but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Cotoneaster