Creeping Cotton Easter Cotoneaster adpressus

Creeping Cotton Easter is a deciduous shrub in the Rose family.  It is native to Asia and prefers full sun to partial shade in moist but well-drained loamy soils. This low growing groundcover has a dense prostrate habit.  It is an easy to grow low maintenance plant that is tolerant of poor soils, erosion, drought, pollution, deer and rabbit browsing.  Plant it in a rock garden, or cascading over a rock wall.  It looks excellent mass planted to cover a slope or area prone to erosion. Creeping Cotton Easter does not perform well when grown in hot summer climates, and they can be difficult to grow in locations south of zone 7.

The showy red berries emerge after the flowers have bloomed. They will ripen to a brilliant red in late summer into fall, and will continue to appear into winter.  Makes a great addition to a winter garden.  Spreading horizontally, the stems can root where contact is made with the soil.   

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.  Mites can be an issue under hot and dry conditions.  It will sometimes experience issues with fire blight, leaf spots, lace bug, canker and contoneaster web worm.  Dense foliage close to the ground can become a maintenance issue as leaves drop and are difficult to remove.  

Eating the fruits can cause mild stomach upset.