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What is this and what does it do?

tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 274
in Plants
Hi all,

I planted this a few years ago (not knowing what I was doing!). Ideally I want to create a screen about 3 feet above the wall.

As you can see, I tried staking it with an old curtain pole. Is this plant good for this purpose? (it seems to grow fast which is what I want!)

Thanks




Posts

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,814
    It looks like a cotoneaster. Bees love the flowers and birds love the berries which follow. It will self seed all over the place.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,857
    The RHS offers this info and you can click about to identify which one you have

    https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/popular/cotoneaster 


    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,358
    Yes. Cotoneaster - I can't remember which variety that one is.
    They're quite good at being self supporting up to a point, but  I think if you want a few feet of extra height above your wall, you might need to put some basic support in for it to grow against and up. That works better than just allowing them to do their own thing. Trellis, or a few posts with horizontal battens, or something similar. 

    You can prune bits off if they're too wayward - they don't mind a fair bit of abuse  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 274
    Thanks all.
    It really doesnt want to support itself at all. So perhaps its the 'ground hugging' variety. Which Im happy with if it supresses weeds! Perhaps Ill remove the support and see what it does! 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,090
    It won’t make a hedge, its a horizontal one. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • tuffnelljohntuffnelljohn Posts: 274
    Thanks Lyn. I may have to find a new place for it as I definitely need something that grows vertical and is very bushy!
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,090
    Cotoneaster is good, but the upright one. It grows very quickly from cuttings,  your mum might have a hedge of it she can butcher, if not , I have,  if you cut it and leave the bits it will grow.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,358
    I thought that might be one of the more 'free standing types' - franchetti. Couldn't remember it's name earlier, but maybe not.
    I have one I planted here several years ago which is more upright, although it has a fence to grow against, but I've forgotten which one it is.  :(
    It might be lacteus. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • yarrow2yarrow2 Posts: 782
    I like the attractive curtain pole and it's given me some ideas about a couple of spares I have lying around in the junk.  LOL!
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