Cotoneaster simonsii

Cotoneaster simonsii also known as Himalayan Cotoneaster, is a large semi-evergreen bush that is very cold and drought resistant, with beautiful fruiting. Its flowering is appreciated by bees and its beautiful scarlet berries feed birds at the end of the season. These qualities make it an excellent plant for a country hedge. It is easy to cultivate in any well-drained soil, even dry in summer.

Cotoneaster simonsii is a bush of the rose family, just like its cousins the pyracanthas. It is native to Nepal, eastern Himalaya, Assam, and Myanmar in northern India. It has been introduced to Europe and other regions of the world where it is sometimes considered invasive.

The growth of the Himalayan Cotoneaster is moderately fast and it has an upright habit.  Over time this bush forms a mass almost as wide as it is tall, reaching an average height and spread of 2.5 m (8 ft).  Its branches are stiff, reddish-brown, and hairy. This cotoneaster blooms in May-June, with tiny nectar-rich flowers with 5 white petals, grouped in 2 or 3. The flower buds are pink. The flowers are followed by fruits, ripening in September-October. These are oval berries measuring 6.5 to 11 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) long and 5.4 to 8.4 mm (0.2 to 0.3 in) in diameter, shiny, vermillion red, ornamental and sought after by birds. The foliage of this bush is semi-evergreen in winter. It is composed of small alternate leaves, closely arranged, ovate to elliptical, 2.4 to 3.5 cm (0.9 to 1.4 in) long, medium to dark green, slightly glossy on the upper side, with a yellowish, waxy and slightly hairy underside. 

Cotoneasters are highly appreciated by novice gardeners or those who don't have much time to dedicate to garden maintenance: they are accommodating, sturdy, and decorative shrubs for most of the year. This Cotoneaster can be used in shrub beds as well as informal hedges. It is a good border plant, for example in front of a grove of tall trees. Pair it with Berberis, laurel-tin, Milkflower Cotoneaster, Elaeagnus ebbingei, Photinias, and other cherry-laurels in a large evergreen, windbreak hedge. It will provide shelter and cover for all the small fauna in the garden. It can also be an unusual specimen planted alone, placed at the corner of a bed or at the end of a pathway.