SunGari redbead cotoneaster is a versatile shrub requiring minimal maintenance

Ctoneaster racemiflorus var. soongoricus is a versatile, durable and adaptable large arching deciduous shrub that will reduce your yard maintenance and look beautiful at the same time. The toughest cotoneaster available, it can be planted as a windbreak on the plains or as a casual hedge row to disguise a neighbor’s fence.

In mid-May, you will enjoy masses of half-inch white flower clusters tucked among ovate- shaped, army green leaves. And the bees will be buzzing.

Designers love to use this plant in smaller yards and south- or west-facing courtyards. It will a add a level of interest that active gardeners strive to achieve. Trained into a multistem ornamental tree, the 8-foot-tall size fits nicely under the eaves of a house or elegantly over a split rail fence. The graceful arching branches will crown a magical spot with basal plantings of flax, foxglove, primrose or golden storksbill. Let these low-maintenance perennials reveal their flowers and fall color for the full magical effect.

Redbead’s adaptability means this cotoneaster grows nicely in all the heat and wind that can occur on three sides of a house. It will not look pleasant on the shady north side of any tall solid structure, though it will probably live. After the leaves turn a prosaic yellow brown in the fall, they drop quickly, revealing why it’s called redbead. Small, bright red quarter-inch fruit will hang onto the branches until you pull the holiday lights off in January. Redbead is not as messy as you might surmise. The birds do a good job of gobbling up berries as they ripen. This is a perfect plant for all demanding steppe climates. Read more in our winter magazine issue.

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