Cotoneaster lacteus

Late cotoneaster, Late Cotoneaster

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Conservation status: Cal-IPC Yes

Late cotoneaster is a naturalized shrub found in northern California coastal regions, Klamath Ranges, Sierra Nevada foothills, central coastal California, San Francisco Bay Area, southern California, and Peninsular Ranges in open forests, meadows, disturbed ground, and near creeks and ponds at elevations below 500 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces white flowers in clusters approximately 8 to 9 millimeters wide with white filaments and purple anthers. Growing as an arching evergreen shrub 1 to 9 meters tall, it forms elegant spreading branches. Its thick leaves are 35 to 95 millimeters long, elliptic to obovate, with dark green surfaces and pale undersides that become less hairy with age. The plant produces bright red spherical fruits 6 to 7 millimeters wide, containing two stone-like seeds.

Habitat: Open forest, meadows, disturbed ground, thickets, creeks, ponds, canyons

Bloom period: May-Jul, fruiting Nov--Apr

Elevation: < 500 m

Bioregions: NCo, KR, CaRF, CCo, SnFrB, SCo, PR, expected elsewhere

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.