Cotoneaster – A Cascade of Curves and Chances

Botanical Name: Cotoneaster horizontalis

Common Name: Cotoneaster

Story of the Tree

In 2019, I won this cascade tree at the raffle during our regularly July meeting. Sandy Planting had donated it and she pointed out to me that it was faciated at the ends. This was a rare mutation that caused the end of the long branches to grow into a large flat mass.

She told me either people like it or they don't. I did like it for many years, but one year I decided to remove the faciated portion in the hopes it would form again but slightly shorter and it started to look weak at the tips. In 2023 I repotted the tree in this tall cascade pot.

I had purchased the pot without any idea of what I was going to plant in it. I just liked how tall it was and felt I would never see a pot that tall again. I put a large rock in the base of the pot to help stabilize it.

My idea for this tree is to try and get the top to form more of a mound or definitive apex. Right now I have really no apex. I still like how sweeping the lower branch is and I'm really happy when it forms the tiny flowers and berries. I hope someday it forms another mutated paddle at the end of the branches.

Exhibited by: Charlene