Cotoneaster Coral Beauty
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Cotoneaster dammeri, commonly called bearberry cotoneaster, is a dense, fast-growing, prostrate ground cover that grows to 1’ tall but spreads to 6’ wide or more on stiff, slender, prostrate branches that root at the nodes where they touch the ground. It is native to mountain regions, cliff sides, open mixed forests and rocky ground in central to southern China. Alternate, leathery, elliptic to oblong, mostly evergreen leaves (to 1 1/ 4” long and to 5/8” wide) are glossy deep green above and gray-green below. Leaves acquire reddish-bronze to purple tones in winter. White, 5-petaled, 1/2” diameter flowers with purple anthers bloom singly or in pairs in May-June. Flowers are followed by red berries (pomes to 1-4” wide) which ripen in late summer but persist through winter unless consumed by birds or animals. Berry crop is often small. Genus name comes from the Latin word cotoneum meaning quince and aster meaning resembling in reference to the resemblance of some genus plants to quince. Specific epithet honors Carl Lebrecht Dammer (1860-1920), German botanist at the Botanical Museum in Berlin. Common name of bearberry cotoneaster is in reference to the fact that bears will feed on the berries in winter in parts of the U. S. ‘Coral Beauty’ is a cultivar which is primarily distinguished from species plants by having: (1) more compact habit; (2) leaves a bit shinier; and (3) more abundant fruit crop. ‘Coral Beauty’ is sometimes sold under the synonymous cultivar names of ‘Royal Beauty’ and 'Pink Beauty’. RHS Award of Garden Merit in 1993