Cotoneaster lucidus
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
|image=Iceland Plants 4939.JPG
|image_caption=In bloom in Iceland
|genus=Cotoneaster
|species=lucidus
|authority=Schltdl.
|synonyms=Cotoneaster acutifolius var. lucidus (Schltdl.) L.T.Lu
|synonyms_ref={{GRIN |accessdate=June 17, 2009}}
}}
Cotoneaster lucidus, the shiny cotoneaster,{{BSBI 2007 |accessdate=2014-10-17 }}{{PLANTS|id=COLU5|taxon=Cotoneaster lucidus|accessdate=17 January 2016}} or hedge cotoneaster, is a deciduous, medium-sized shrub with long, spreading branches reaching heights (and breadths) of 6' to 10'. It is native to parts of northern Asia, and adapted to tolerate colder weather
(to zone 4).{{ cite web |url=http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/c/cotluc/cotluc1.html |title=Cotoneaster lucidus |author=Mark Brand |work=Plant Database |publisher=University of Connecticut |date=October 17, 2000 |accessdate=June 17, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090425031723/http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/c/cotluc/cotluc1.html |archivedate=April 25, 2009 }} C. lucidus was described in 1856 by Diederich Franz Leonhard von Schlechtendal. Some authorities consider it to be a synonym of Cotoneaster acutifolius, the Peking cotoneaster.{{cite POWO |id=722565-1 |title=Cotoneaster lucidus Schltdl. |access-date=5 May 2022 }}
Identification
=Leaves and branches=
=Flowers=
Flowers are a pale-pink, small and clustered blooming in early June. Flower buds are imbricate, appressed with loose exposed outer scales.
=Fruit=
Cotoneaster lucidus grows an attractive, blackish pome fruit, about half an inch in diameter, which ripens between September and October.
=Bark=
=Roots=
Despite its sparse root system, Cotoneaster lucidus holds up well in persistent winds thus making it a good hedging plant. It grows particularly well in well-drained, loose soil, but soil pH can vary.
Propagation
Pests
Cotoneaster lucidus is prone to fireblight, leaf spot, scale insects and spider mites.