General: The bearberry cotoneaster is found naturally in China. It grows there as a creeping and evergreen shrub. The plant belongs to the rose family with the corresponding flowers and fruits in miniature form.
Care as a bonsai: The bearberry cotoneaster is made for bonsai design. Its leaves, flowers and fruits are small, absolutely compatible with pruning and will sprout again and again. It blooms from May to June with small white flowers and then gets red berries from September. These stick to the plant even in winter. It is suitable for all forms of design, especially since they can be wired and cut all year round. It can be kept very small for many years. The bearberry cotoneaster is also suitable as underplanting for forests or landscapes (Saikei). When wiring, care should be taken that the small leaves are not wired in. This is of course not that easy with the large number of leaves. The cotoneaster does not make any special demands on its location, but extremes should still be avoided. The lighter the location, the more pronounced the bloom and fruit formation.
Special features of the variety: The Bearberry cotoneaster 'Skogholm' was selected in Sweden in 1941 and is particularly strong. As a result, it offers good conditions for growing larger bonsai with relatively small leaves. The leaves are small (1-2 cm long), dark green, with a matt sheen and sometimes turn yellow-orange in autumn. Nevertheless, the species is evergreen and also produces the typical flowers and fruits.
