Hollyberry Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster Bullatus) 15 seeds (#812)

Cotoneaster bullatus (Hollyberry cotoneaster) is a large, deciduous shrub with green leaves turning red and orange in autumn.
It bears small, pale-pink flowers in early summer, followed by relatively large, bright red berries in early autumn.
Shrub will reach a height of 4m and a spread of 4m after 10-20 years.
Good for beds and borders, Cottage/Informal, drought tolerant, low maintenance gardens.

Genus - Cotoneaster
Species - Bullatus
Common name - Hollyberry Cotoneaster
Pre-Treatment - Not-required
Hardiness zones - 5 - 10
Height - 4 m
Spread - 4 m
Plant type - Shrub
Vegetation type - Deciduous
Exposure - Full Sun, part shade
Growth rate - Medium
Soil PH - Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil type - Chalky, Clay, Loamy, Sandy (will tolerate most soil types), well drained
Water requirements - Low, drough tolerant
Landscape uses - Beds and borders, Cottage/Informal, Drought Tolerant, Low Maintenance
Bloom season - Summer
Leaf / Flower color - Dark-green in Spring; Dark-green in Summer; Orange, Red in Autumn / Pink

GERMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
1. Soak for 24 hours and after place seeds in a plastic bag filled with moist sand inside the refrigerator for 2-3 months to cold-stratify them.
2. Sow the cotoneaster seeds in 10-15 cm plastic pots filled with sterile loam. Sow two seeds in each pot to a depth of the seed size. Sprinkling sand across the soil’s surface helps slow the evaporation rate.
3. Place the potted cotoneaster seeds on a propagation mat near a source of very bright light. Set the temperature on the propagation mat to +25C for nine hours each day. Adjust the temperature to +12C for the remainder of the day.
4. Water the cotoneaster seeds as often as necessary maintaining moisture in the top one-half inch of soil at all times. Add the water very slowly when irrigating keeps from disturbing the seed.
5. Watch for germination in 25 days. Remove the weaker of the two cotoneaster seedlings from each pot if both germinate. Wait until the seedlings reach 2,5-3 cm in height before thinning.
6. Move the cotoneaster seedlings to a sheltered spot outdoors with limited exposure to strong, direct sunlight. Continue watering, but allow the soil’s surface to dry slightly between waterings.
7. Slowly acclimate the cotoneaster seedlings to strong sunlight in the course of one week until they withstand full sun for five hours without wilting.
8. Transplant the cotoneaster seedlings into a sunny bed at least 75 days before the first autumn frost. Space the seedlings 3 m apart. Mulching heavily around them protects their developing roots. (info source: ehow.com)