Parney cotoneaster
milk flower cotoneaster
arching cotoneaster
© Patrick Breen - Oregon State University
© Patrick Breen - Oregon State University
© Patrick Breen - Oregon State University
This larger cotoneaster grows upright and spreading with a relaxed form up to 10 feet tall and wide. The evergreen foliage is dark green above and silvery underneath. A profusion of white flower clusters in early summer give way to bright red berries in autumn; the former much loved by bees and butterflies while the latter are a favorite of birds in wintertime.
Plant Type: shrub
Foliage Type: evergreen
Plant Height (10-year): 10 ft. 0 in. (3.05 meters)
Plant Width/Spread (10-year): 10 ft. 0 in. (3.05 meters)
Plant Height-Mature: 14 ft. 0 in. (4.27 meters)
Plant Width-Mature: 14 ft. 0 in. (4.27 meters)
Hardiness: USDA Zones 6 to 8
Flower Color: white
Sun/Light Exposure: full sun or light to open shade
Water Requirements: drought tolerant once established
Seasonal Interest: white flowers in early summer, red berries in fall, year-round evergreen foliage
Wildlife Associations: bees
Plant in full sun for the best growth & flowering, although Cotoneaster lacteus will tolerate light to open shade. The soil should be well-draining and can average to rich. Drought tolerant, once established, but if planted with companions that require occasional to regular watering, it will grow just fine.
Cotoneaster lacteus is native to the provinces of Guizhou, Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan in China and found on grassy slopes along rivers or in thickets at 6,000 to 9,000 feet (1800m to 2700m).
Text and photos ©2020 Great Plant Picks/Elisabeth Carey Miller Garden except where otherwise noted
Funded by the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation, The Seattle Times, and Individual Donors
Administered by the Elisabeth Carey Miller Botanical Garden