Cotoneaster acutifolius seed

LATIN NAME: Cotoneaster acutifolius

COMMON NAME: Peking Cotoneaster, Acute-leaf Cotoneaster

The Peking cotoneaster is a tough and graceful shrub of the cold north, and its berries are a winter feast for the birds. It grows as an upright, deciduous shrub, reaching two to four metres, with slender, arching branches, small, oval, dark green leaves that turn red and orange in autumn and, in early summer, clusters of small, pink-tinged white flowers, followed by the small, round, black berries that ripen in autumn and hang on through the winter, feeding the birds when little else is about. It is a hardy, dependable shrub of the garden, valued for its graceful form, its autumn colour and its berries.

The Peking cotoneaster belongs to the rose family, Rosaceae, and it is native to southern Siberia, Mongolia and most of China. It has been introduced to Canada, the northern United States and northern Europe, and it grows in a wide variety of habitats in its native range, from open woods to rocky slopes. Its name, acute-leaf, comes from the pointed tips of its small, oval leaves, and it is one of the hardiest of the cotoneasters, a shrub that shrugs off cold winters and poor soil with equal ease.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The Peking cotoneaster has a genuine and growing place in both horticultural and ecological research. It has been studied in horticulture for its value as an ornamental shrub, valued for its graceful form, its autumn colour and its winter berries, and it is widely grown in cold-climate gardens, where it is a dependable and handsome shrub. The plant has also been studied in ecology, since the cotoneasters as a group are of interest for their value to wildlife, and researchers have examined their role in feeding birds through the winter and their place in the landscape, while in some regions where they have been introduced, their spread has also been studied. The genus Cotoneaster is also of interest in botany for its many species and their relationships. For a shrub of such quiet dependability, the Peking cotoneaster has a steady and growing record of research.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the Peking cotoneaster is a generous shrub of the cold garden. Its flowers feed bees and other insects in early summer, and its black berries feed birds through the winter, when food is scarce, while its dense, arching growth gives shelter and nesting sites.

Its economic value lies mainly in horticulture. It is a widely grown ornamental shrub, valued for its graceful form, its autumn colour and its winter berries, and it is a dependable choice for cold-climate gardens and for hedging and shelter. For a grower, the Peking cotoneaster is an easy and dependable shrub, and for a gardener it brings graceful growth, fiery autumn colour and berries that keep the birds fed all winter. The seeds need a little cold — give them a spell in the fridge in damp compost, then sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost, keep them lightly watered in a sunny spot, and they’ll sprout steadily over a few weeks, growing on into a hardy shrub that will feed the birds for years.