Shiny Cotoneaster
Cotoneaster lucidus
This exceptionally hardy shrub can easily survive extreme winter temperatures dropping as low as minus forty degrees.
- Scientific name
- Cotoneaster lucidus
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Rosales › Rosaceae › Cotoneaster
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Rocky slopes, open forest margins, shrublands, and cultivated urban gardens.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic (requires sunlight, water, and soil nutrients)
- Range
- Siberia, Northern China, Mongolia, North America, Europe
- Size
- 1.5 to 3 meters in height and spread
- Lifespan
- 30-50 years
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Fire blight bacterial infections, scale insects, and habitat alteration in its native range.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless. This plant is entirely safe to touch, making it popular for hedging. However, its raw berries contain cyanogenic glycosides and are mildly toxic to humans and pets if ingested. Avoid eating the fruit. If a large amount is consumed, monitor for stomach upset and seek medical advice if symptoms persist.
Cotoneaster lucidus , the shiny cotoneaster , or hedge cotoneaster , is a deciduous, medium-sized shrub with long, spreading branches reaching heights (and breadths) of 6' to 10'. It is native to parts of northern Asia, and adapted to tolerate colder weather (to zone 4). C. lucidus was described in 1856 by Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal.
Photo: Katrin Simon, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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