The cotoneaster - the ground cover par excellence
the Cotoneaster or Cotoneaster dammeri is used as a ground cover for covering slopes, Embankments, Flower beds and graves are extremely popular. she is good hardy and versatile, whereby the 'Coral Beauty' variety stands out. It grows up to 60 cm high, is evergreen and glows with its coral-red fruits from late summer.
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The loquat: an evergreen substitute for lawn
It bears the botanical title Cotoneaster dammeri var. radicans and can be more colorful due to their carpet-like growth Lawn replacement as well as for greening slopes, flower beds and roadsides. This is how they grow:
- crawling flat
- compact
- Growth height: up to 15 cm
- Spread: 50 to 70 cm
- Growth rate: 5 to 15 cm per year
Thanks to the dense growth, weeds are deprived of their livelihood and regular weeding and plucking is spared. In order to maintain dense growth across the whole area, between six and eight plants should be planted per square meter.
The loquat: bright red in autumn
The loquat is also suitable as a ground cover. It bears a deciduous foliage and brings out compared to others Medlar species few fruits emerge. Their growth is prostrate. Their advantage: their bright wine-red autumn leaves.
The fan loquat: with herringbone-like shoots
Cotoneaster horizontalis, the fan loquat, has a characteristic fan-like spreading habit. Its shoots are herringbone-like, well branched and lying flat on the ground. The foliage is summer green and colored orange-red in autumn. This specimen produces an enormous number of reddish fruits and, due to its height of up to 1 m, can also be considered low hedge can be used.
The loquat: extremely slow
Cotoneaster procumbens:
- spreads lying on the ground
- reaches an average height of 15 cm
- grows extremely slowly
- has evergreen foliage
- produces a large number of decorative fruits
Tips & Tricks
All of the ground covers mentioned can tolerate a radical cut. They will sprout again when the deciduous specimens are cut in winter and the evergreen specimens in spring.
