Cotoneaster adpressus Little Gem

Cotoneaster adpressus 'Little Gem' is a variety of creeping cotoneaster that differs from the standard type by a more compact and dense habit, as well as the almost total absence of flowers and fruits. This prostrate bush slowly forms a well-groomed mound, with a glossy dark green colour that turns beautiful shades of red to violet in autumn before falling. Although deciduous, this plant makes a good ground cover, both versatile in garden design and effective in weed control. 'Little Gem' is perfect in a rockery, on a slope or above a wall.

Cotoneaster Little Gem, considered to be identical to the Tom Thumb variety, is a cultivar of uncertain origin, probably resulting from the hybridisation of different species and varieties including the Cotoneaster horizontalis var. adpressus, the creeping cotoneaster. The latter is native to western China, where it grows in mixed forests covering rocky slopes of mountains, at an altitude between 1900 and 4000 m (6233 ft 7 in-13123 ft 5 in). All these plants belong to the Rosaceae family. Very robust, 'Little Gem' is able to withstand very harsh winters and occasional droughts, even when growing in poor, rocky soil. It has a prostrate, spreading and creeping habit, more compact than its ancestor, and slower growth. It develops curved and flexible, well-branched branches with shorter internodes, reddish-brown and villous when young, then greyish to almost black and glabrous as they age. It will not exceed 25 cm (9.8 in) in height and 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) in spread. Its deciduous foliage is composed of small, thick and leathery leaves, ovate in shape, not exceeding 1 cm (0.4 in) in length and 6 mm (0.2 in) in width. They are light green when they bud, before darkening over time and turning red in autumn before falling. Flowering, rarely observed on this plant, takes place in May, in the form of very small flowers with 5 white petals tinged with red. It does not produce fruits.

This creeping cotoneaster 'Little Gem' is ideal for effectively covering the ground in slightly challenging areas of the garden, bringing a very neat touch. While it can grow in various conditions, Cotoneaster adpressus does not appreciate hot and dry climates. Perfect at the base of a tall hedge, it can also be planted in a rockery to fill the spaces between other plants. Plant it without hesitation on a large slope, above a wall or retaining wall, at the edge of a terrace or pathway. It can be paired, for example, with the creeping juniper Blue Star, the Euonymus fortunei Emerald Gaiety, the Berberis thunb. atropurpurea Nana, and the Forsythia intermedia Marée d'or courtasol.