Cotoneaster simonsii

Himalayan cotoneaster, Himalayan Cotoneaster

Family: Rosaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Himalayan cotoneaster is a naturalized shrub found in northern California coastal, Klamath Ranges, and northern central western California regions in thickets, open forests, meadows, and disturbed ground at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to June, this shrub produces delicate pink flowers with white anthers and pink filaments in small clusters. Growing 1 to 6 meters tall with a deciduous habit, it forms spreading branches with an open, arching structure. Its leaves are shiny, ovate, 10 to 30 millimeters long, with smooth upper surfaces and sparsely hairy undersides, featuring acute tips. In autumn and winter, the shrub develops bright red-orange obovate fruits 7 to 14 millimeters wide, adding visual interest to the landscape.

Habitat: Thickets, open forest, meadows, pastures, disturbed ground

Bloom period: May-Jun, fruiting Oct--Apr

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: NCo, KR, n CW, expected elsewhere

California counties: Alameda, Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino

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