Franchet Cotoneaster
(Cotoneaster franchetii)

The Franchet Cotoneaster hedging is known for its foliage of sage coloured leaves that have white undersides, which are followed by five-petalled, dusty pink-white flowers in May, and then in Autumn, rich orange-red coloured berries. These attributes make the Cotoneaster Franchetii a perfect hedging species for wildlife (mostly birds), and their habitats, who love to feed on the delicious berries during Winter.

This hedging species has also proven to be successful at reducing pollution in areas with heavy traffic, as they soak up roughly 20%, or more, of the toxins than other varieties of hedging. This is due to their evergreen, concentrated, hairy leaves.

People sometimes compare the Franchet Cotoneaster to the Cotoneaster Lacteus, however, the key difference between the two is that the Cotoneaster Franchetii is a lot more upright and does not need a wall or fence to support it.

The Cotoneaster Franchetii is a very durable and hardy plant that is suitable for all soils (except from wet), as well as being tolerant to any situation- that is from sun to a dense shade. As well as this, you may notice that some leaves fall or turn a different colour during a cold winter. Do not worry, this is normal- even though it is an evergreen, the foliage does not do too well in very cold winters. However, you are not likely to be faced with this often, and you are more likely to find yourself with a lovely windbreaking hedge that provides year-round interest.

• Growth height: Average (20-40cm per year)
• Ideal height: 2.5m+ Tall
• Soil Type: Normal
• Exposure: Coastal, Exposed, Inland
• Aspect: Full shade, Sun
• Evergreen foliage? Yes

Pruning your Franchet Cotoneaster is quite a simple process. All we recommend you to do is trimming your plant after the berries have fallen; this will just keep it under control and maintain a size/shape. Once you have done the pruning, however, we also suggest you feed it.

When should I plant Franchet Cotoneaster hedging?

The best time to plant your Franchet Cotoneaster is from late autumn through to late winter.

How far apart do you plant Franchet Cotoneaster plants?

Pot grown plants can range from 3-5 plants per metre, but this does depend on the maturity of the roots. If you are planting at a higher density, you will need to plant in a staggered or zig-zag row.̴Ì?

How to plant Franchet Cotoneaster:

Begin by digging a hole that is twice as wide and deep as the plant's root ball. Save the soil to use as backfill, and remove any weeds or rocks from the backfill soil.

Try to break up any densely matted roots before the place the plant into the hole. Franchet Cotoneaster should be planted at ground level, too.

Once planted, backfill the hole with excess soil and amend with peat moss or compost. After this, thoroughly water the plant (and continue to water around 2/3 times per week for the first year after planting).̴Ì?

Spread a decent layer of mulch around the plants to help suppress any weeds - this will also help the plant to survive in very cold conditions,̴Ì?with it helping to retain soil temperature and moisture.