#3749 - Cotoneaster microphyllus - Rockspray CotoneasterÂ
In midst of death, we are in life - another species I found at the Andersons Bay Cemetery. It had mostly filled one of the grave enclosures.
"A quince-like plant with tiny leaves." Cotoneaster is pronounced koh-toh-nee-ASS-ter, by the way, and not cotton-easter as I thought 4 or so decades ago and was asking a nursery about them. They were quite confused.
Native to the Indian Subcontinent, Tibet, parts of China, and Myanmar, but widely grown elsewhere, wheres its hardiness and ability to laugh off rabbits can be appreciated. Potentially invasive, though. There are at least 25 other Cotoneaster species on the loose in New Zealand, and this one has been naturalised since 1940.
The fruit, like those of other Cotoneasters, is a small pome a few millimeters across. Fruit in the genus can be pink, orange, red, maroon or even black, and in some species stays on the plant until well into the following year. This makes them an important winter food for some birds.
Dunedin, Aotearoa New Zealand
