Cranberry Cotoneasters (cuh-TONE-ee-ass-terz) are fine-textured, low-growing shrubs which are especially handsome trailing over retaining walls or planted in large groupings on banks. They carpet the ground with glossy green leaves in summer and red to purple tones in fall. Cranberry Cotoneasters are also valued for their small, bright red berries that appear on the plants in late summer.

Size: Cranberry Cotoneasters are from 1 to 3 feet high and may spread 3 to 6 feet across.

Foliage: The lustrous, dark green leaves are round with wavy edges and approximately 1/2 inch across. They alternate on the stems. The fall colors, which often last into November, range from rich bronzy-red to purple.

Flowers and Berries: The tiny pink flowers that appear on Cranberry Cotoneasters in late May are attractive, but not overwhelming. However, the rosy-red, 3/8-inch-diameter fruits the plants produce in late summer are quite handsome against the dark green leaves.