In The Garden: Is this a cotoneaster or a viburnum?

I am going to ask for confirmation of the name of this shrub, common throughout our strata complex and I have seen it in others -- I thought it was an evergreen type of viburnum but now I think it is a willow-leaf cotoneaster, but I would like some expert opinions. The leaf is quite grey-green, and the shrubs have a silvery-green effect. Photos follow. It is an evergreen shrub, has been pruned as a hedge in some areas and is forever outgrowing the "hedge" form, and I am thinking of reverting to a fountaining shape as these photos in another strata show. A local nursery manager tells me its a Cotoneaster salicifolius. Nov 19th: We have determined via Ron B it is Cotoneaster franchetii. Certainly not viburnum as the lower photo-file on the right is named.

 

I am no expert either but I say that's no Viburnum. I would agree with your nursery friend and say it is defiantly a Cotoneaster, salicifolius appears correct as well.

 

Thanks, that's what I decided too.

 

The common one with this general appearance is Cotoneaster franchetii.

 

The leaves in the photo do seem a little shorter and wider than C. salicifolius. Had a dark green leaved one with distinct venation, was quite attractive.

 

Yes: willowleaf cotoneaster is quite different, as far as it goes.

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...r+franchetii&aq=0&oq=cotoneaster+franc&aqi=g1

http://images.google.com/images?hl=...easter salicifolius&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wi

 

Thanks, Ron, and others for your interest, and thanks, Ron, for the superb Googled collection of photos [my system doesn't really gather together that many, maybe I am not going to a Google "images" point] -- I am relieved to have identified that, and now can refer to it by its proper name. Cotoneaster franchetii. We have some other smaller shrubby cotoneasters too, on the strata property, but they have slightly more oval leaves and seem a bit more compact so may be a different variety. I don't mean the prostrate ones, I am familiar with those. Great job.

 

Timber press has a new color photo illustrated cotoneaster monograph out, I saw it this year at the Stanwood, WA public library - so you can probably find it in a publicly accessible collection there also. As you can see in the Google Images pages of C. franchetii variably grayish hairy plants are being called this same species name. For some time now informed observers have been pointing out that various cotoneasters are being grown under the wrong species names, flipping through the new book it can be seen some sometimes quite similar-looking types are considered distinct species.

 

Interesting. This Cotoneaster franchetii has a presence in England, I noted, on a Google follow-up. I'll look at the book, we have some excellent bookstores here and I'll check at the library, although our public system here has been suffering some cutbacks.

 

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/groundcover/cotoneaster_salicifolius.html

Above page states C. salicifolius has a maximum height of 15 inches.

We have two species in our database showing a mature height of 2-5 feet:
Cotoneaster microphyllus and horizontalis.

Supposedly, C. horizontalis has a more 'arching' habit.

 

I saw that info somewhere too, and that is why I put the question out for answering here on the Forum. It did not make sense to me regarding the lack of height in willow-leaf cotoneaster that ours were that type... Ours are in places very tall, substantial hedge candidate plants, more than 5 ft, or for fountaining, but they are tall and large or potentially so. Certainly the Cotoneaster franchetii in any web-sourced info seems to show it gaining substantial height, especially given in the U.K. sites accessed via the Web once I had the correct name. Plus the appearance in the photos Ron put out matches mine.

 

Thank you for letting me know. I was craving a close-up. Don't know how he did it, but Ron nailed it. He has magical skills.

 

And another description www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=200010777 giving a height of C. salicifolius to 5m. {15'} tall. Michael Dirr seemed to think many of the lower growing named Cotoneaster salicifolius, 1-2.5' high, appear to be hybrids with C. dammeri.

 

Cotoneaster salicifolius Franchet the latter was named as, too!

 

Named by Franchet, not part of the actual botanical name.

 

Indicating the author of the name was Franchet. Probably the same Franchet commemorated by C. franchetii.

Both Franchet and willowleaf cotoneasters are common here. Nowadays prostrate forms of C. salicifolius are what are usually seen in outlets, likely the basis for the 15". Or it was a typo, a mistake for 15'.

 

Good catch Ron.

Michigan State has it at 12 feet.
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/modzz/00000447.html

http://www.ipm.uconn.edu/Plants/c/cotsal/cotsal3.html
U of conn has it at 15" but also states:
* a large, semi-evergreen to evergreen shrub

and from Wikipedia
"is a drought-tolerant, evergreen to semi-evergreen, low-lying, small to medium sized shrub with an arched branching habit. Specimens growing in the wild, however, are generally larger, averaging five meters in height."
and then points to 30 cvs of varying heights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotoneaster_salicifolius

 

Large shrub height (10'-15') is reached repeatedly in this region; some specimens may even break into the small tree range (15'-35'). I don't remember if A.L. Jacobson included this species in Trees of Greater Seattle - Second Edition but if he did there will be measurements of tall specimens there (I am not where my copy is at the moment).

 

I'll take a close-up photo of a leaf and branch-end and reverse side of leaf, if I can, with something showing the measurement, should have done that today, the rain was over temporarily...

 

The only question is if it might not be Cotoneaster franchetii sensu strictu, which could also mean most plants grown here under the name are not really examples of that species. C. salicifolius does not come into it, being a species producing willow-like leaves with noticeable venation.

 

Here at last are 3 close-ups if they all upload properly. Ruler is in place. The photo where the flash came into play shows a brighter green leaf than it looks in reality -- something to do with my camera. From a distance these look quite grey-green or silvery green. Nov. 19th: these have been determined by Ron B and other close observers to be Cotoneaster salicifolius, the willow-leaf cotoneaster.

 

Thanks for the new pics. I'd guess that Harry was correct - Cotoneaster salicifolius. Need to hear from Ron!!!

 

This photo on the Oregon State site really looks like the above, and is labelled Cotoneaster salicifolius. The leaves in this photo and on my shrubs are narrower looking than the C. franchetii shown on the other Cotoneaster website Ron provided above for the franchetii-s.

http://images.google.com/imgres?img...cifolius&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&sa=N&um=1

Ron did caution us regarding the nomenclature.

 

Janet, And the leaves on the plant in your first post second photo are the same ?

 

I was afraid someone would ask that. That occurred to me about an hour ago. I didn't have time today, what with the weather deteriorating so quickly, to get over to the other strata where the first two photos were taken -- I would swear the shrubs are the same, owing to the size, overall effect from a bit of a distance, BUT this inquiry will have to have yet another close-up photo taken of leaves of those first-illustrated ones. I do remember the narrowness of them, though... The leaves aren't really as glossy-looking as the photos make them out to be, may be a flash reflection or something... The close-ups are taken from a hedge-trimmed grouping which must be 7-9 feet high.