REQUEST SURVEY
A survey is the best option to choose if you want to know whether you have invasive plants on your land or property. Book yours here.
ASK US ABOUT OUR MULTI-CONTAMINANT REMOVAL SERVICE – ERADICATING INVASIVE PLANTS AND ASBESTOS IN SOILS AT THE SAME TIME
Cotoneaster can be treated with herbicide which can be applied in a variety of ways. Treatment is usually carried out in cycles to be effective. Excavation is the best option for complete eradication, and all fragments of the plant both underground and above ground need to be completely removed to ensure no future growth. The stems can be cut down to ground level and treated with herbicide – but this must be done by a trained professional if the result is required to be permanent. All plant material and soils must be removed to a landfill licensed to receive controlled waste.
To find out the best way to remove Cotoneaster and the best time of year to have treatment or excavation carried out get in touch.
This plant is listed as a Schedule 9 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, therefore it is an offence to plant or allow to spread into the wild as it will quickly take over habitats. It is not illegal to plant on your own property but it is an offence to allow it to spread onto other properties.
Cotoneaster mostly spreads via seed expulsion, but more so by birds following digestion of the berries, which means the plant can spread a great distance. The shrubs are hardy and can live up to 50 years if not controlled. The plant likes to grow in inaccessible places such as cliffs and rocky ledges which makes treatment or removal even more difficult.
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Cotoneaster integrifolius
ORIGIN: Eastern Asia
Cotoneaster species are native to Eastern Asia and were first introduced to the UK in 1824 as ornamental plants. There are over 100 species of Cotoneaster now being cultivated in the UK but only 5 species are deemed as invasive. Himalayan Cotoneaster is an erect deciduous shrub, with leaves of 1.5 – 2.5 cm long, whilst Small-leaved Cotoneaster is evergreen with very small leaves at 0.5 – 0.8cm long. Whilst it is known to have air-purifying properties, it is toxic if ingested and its root systems make this species difficult to remove.
Widely seen in woodland, scrub, hedgerows and quarries, and on railway banks, roadsides, sand dunes, cliffs, walls and waste ground.
Once Cotoneaster is established, it can dominate areas, out-competing native flora and creating dense thickets.
Poisonous if ingested in large amounts, toxic to humans, dogs, cats and horses.