They come in all shapes and sizes, from ground cover to 20ft trees, and are really easy-going plants which provide us with masses of berries over the winter months.
One of the most popular is C. horizontalis, the fishbone cotoneaster, so-called because of its flat, fishbone-shaped overlapping branches. When grown against a wall, it hangs on to its leaves and often assumes a better shape than it would if it was grown in a bed as a shrub.
Some cotoneasters are semi-evergreen, keeping their leaves in winter unless it is particularly cold or windy.
For climbing varieties, train the main stems over the space to be covered and tie them to wall nails.
The rest will support themselves. They are not fast-growing, so should not need regular pruning, but if the plant needs tidying up then snip off the unkempt stems in mid-spring.
If you want ground cover, go for C. adpressus, but if you are looking for a taller variety, try the deciduous C. divaricatus, which grows 6ft x 6ft.
If you want large berries, choose C. 'Cornubia' and if you want a change from red, go for C. 'Rothschildianus' (yellow) or C. franchetii (deep orange).
They will grow in any garden soil but thrive in full sun or partial shade.
