What does it look like?
Cotoneaster are long lived, evergreen shrubs up to approximately 3m tall. It has young shoots with pale downy hairs, maturing into arching red-brown stems. Leaves are shiny with soft shaggy hairs above and white-grey hairs underneath. Flowers are small, white and in clusters. Fruit is red berries with a 7-9 mm diameter, with two or three seeds per fruit.
It inhabits open scrub and coastal forest, lava flats, cliffs, forest and river margins, roadsides and track margins, grasslands, plantation forests, and wastelands. A wide range of soil moisture is tolerated but it prefers free draining conditions. Salt spray, frost and semi-shade are also tolerated.
Why is it a problem?
Cotoneaster tolerates grazing, damp and drought conditions, temperature fluctuations, and a range of soil types. It is highly viable and has long-lived seeds. Combined with early maturity and the formation of dense stands, cotoneaster outcompetes native shrub species in a wide range of habitats.
Control methods
Physical control
Plan to control whole areas to minimise reseeding by birds. Dig out small plants (all year round). Leave on site to rot down.
Herbicide control
Cut down and paint stump (all year round, best in summer-autumn) and use metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (5 g/L) or picloram gel. Treat ends of cut branches if they are left on site. Or
Frilling (big stems only in summer-autumn) 'feather' bark, using metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (5g /L). Or
Spray (summer-autumn) using metsulfuron-methyl 600g/kg (5g/L + penetrant).
Stumps resprout often, even after swabbing. Bared areas are reinfested by seed bank. Replant bared areas with dense groundcover or shrubs to prevent seedling regrowth.
CAUTION: When using any herbicide or pesticide, PLEASE READ THE LABEL THOROUGHLY to ensure that all instructions and safety requirements are followed.
Related links
https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/?quick_search=cotoneaster
https://www.weedbusters.org.nz/what-are-weeds/weed-list/cotoneaster-1
Management Programme
Organism of Interest (OOI)
Organisms of Interest are those specified as pests under our Regional Pest Management Plan that are capable of causing significant adverse effects on one or several of our Regional values. These species warrant being watch-listed for ongoing surveillance or future control opportunities.
