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Cotoneaster or not Cotoneaster that is the question ?

Jeff123Jeff123 Posts: 27
in Plants
I was sold this as a cotoneaster 3 yrs ago, its a large healthy plant but has never flowered or had a berry. What am I doing wrong ?
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Posts

  • Chrissy the gardenerChrissy the gardener Posts: 1,072
    It looks like a cotoneaster do you prune it ? Maybe you are pruning it at the wrong time and pruning the flower buds off before they are visible.
  • Jeff123Jeff123 Posts: 27
    No, its never been pruned in the 3 yrs iv had it @Chrissy the gardener
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Is it in full sun or shade?  Do you know which one it is?  The RHS lists 667 kinds and some need full sun while others will do OK in partial shade.

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • ju1i3ju1i3 Posts: 189
    edited October 2018
    I had exactly the same situation with one in my neighbour's garden, which I look after. No flowers or berries. I found there was a milkflower cotoneaster (Contoneaster lacteus) 2 doors down and I think it self-seeded from that. The leaves look exactly the same. I think they must take a long time to flower.


  • yorkshireroseyorkshirerose Posts: 574
    Your Cotoneaster looks quite healthy. If it is a large variety e.g. C. lacteus or maybe C. Cornubia, it may just be putting all it's early strength in to making a good strong root system to support a heavy top growth.
    You could try a high potash feed next Spring to see if that helps produce flowers.
    A gardener's work is never at an end  - (John Evelyn 1620-1706)
  • ju1i3ju1i3 Posts: 189
    leaves look longer and thinner on the cornubia?

  • Jeff123Jeff123 Posts: 27
    These look short and waxy ...
  • Jeff123Jeff123 Posts: 27
    Thanks everyone, I will give it another season then out it will come..
  • BorderlineBorderline Posts: 4,700
    I don’t think you are doing anything wrong. It’s a very young shrub at 3 years. I had a similar problem with my Pyracantha years back. It took over 3 years until it finally produced (some) berries.

    It’s always the way, when others are telling me Horizontalis is a weed now, I’m wondering how such a brilliant shrub can end up with such a tag. 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I love all my cotoneasters, and even if it takes a while to flower/berry, it can still be very valuable in the garden as a backdrop to other planting - bulbs will pop up through it too- shelter and cover for birds and insects and some welcome colour through winter.
    Some of them can take a little while to settle, so it may well just be that  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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