Cotoneaster is another plant that was popular with early settlers, and was planted widely in areas where people once lived and worked.
An evergreen shrub, originating in the Chinese Himalayas, it can grow 1-3m high. It’s small white/pink flowers are followed by bunches of scarlet berries.
Cotoneaster produces large amounts of seed, matures quickly and is very long-lived. That is bad news for native species, particularly shrublands, as it out-competes them and forms dense stands which crowd out the natives. It is also very tolerant of hot and cold temperatures which means it does well in the project area.
