Cotoneaster franchetii
Franchet's cotoneaster, Franchet's Cotoneaster
(c) Colin Meurk, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Colin Meurk · licence
Family: Rosaceae · Type: Shrub · Not Native
Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes
Cotoneaster franchetii (Franchet's cotoneaster) is a non-native California shrub in the Rosaceae family, recognized by distinctive shiny leaves with sunken veins, pink erect petals, and large obovate fruits.
Franchet's cotoneaster is a naturalized shrub found in northern California coastal regions, Klamath Ranges, and northern central western California in thickets, meadows, forest edges, and disturbed places at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this shrub produces delicate pink or rose flowers 7 to 10 millimeters long with erect petals. Growing 1 to 3 meters tall with gracefully arching branches, it forms an elegant evergreen habit with glossy, ovate leaves. Its leaves are 18 to 62 millimeters long, featuring a shiny upper surface and a distinctively yellow or gray-tomentose undersurface with sunken lateral veins. The shrub produces obovate fruits 8 to 12 millimeters long, transitioning from orange to red-orange when ripe between October and April.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 7 sympatric species; distinctive shiny leaves with sunken veins, pink erect petals, and large obovate fruits
Habitat and range
Habitat: Thickets, meadows, forest, riparian edges, disturbed places
Elevation: < 500 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Del Norte, Alameda, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, San Francisco, San Mateo, Sonoma, Trinity, Los Angeles, Yolo, Santa Clara, Mariposa
Outside California: to British Columbia, native to China
Bloom period
Cotoneaster franchetii blooms May-Jul, fruiting Oct--Apr.
Conservation status
Cal-IPC Yes
How to tell it apart
vs Pyracantha: Pyracantha has thorns; Cotoneaster is thornless with smooth stems.; vs Heteromeles: Heteromeles has sharp-toothed leaf edges; Cotoneaster has completely smooth leaf margins.; vs Frangula: Frangula has prominent parallel leaf veins curving toward the tip; Cotoneaster has typical pinnate venation.; vs Rhamnus: Rhamnus has finely toothed leaves; Cotoneaster has completely smooth leaf edges.; vs Ceanothus: Ceanothus has three main veins from the leaf base; Cotoneaster has standard single-midrib venation.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cotoneaster franchetii native to California?
No. Cotoneaster franchetii is not native to California (recorded as not native).
When does Cotoneaster franchetii bloom?
Cotoneaster franchetii blooms May-Jul, fruiting Oct--Apr.
Where in California does Cotoneaster franchetii grow?
Cotoneaster franchetii occurs in San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Del Norte, Alameda, Humboldt, Marin, Mendocino, San Francisco and other counties, at elevations of < 500 m.
What plant family does Cotoneaster franchetii belong to?
Cotoneaster franchetii is in the Rosaceae family, genus Cotoneaster.
Is Cotoneaster franchetii invasive in California?
Cotoneaster franchetii is listed by Cal-IPC with an invasiveness rating of Yes.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.