Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 7, 2026

Cotoneaster coriaceus

Cotoneaster coriaceus, the late cotoneaster or milkflower cotoneaster, is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to Tibet and south-central China. It is a large evergreen shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall and wide. Clusters of white flowers are followed by masses of small, globose, red fruits (pomes) in autumn. Unusually for this genus, the fruits are avoided by birds, hence garden escapes are rare, and the fruit persists on the plant throughout the winter.

Last revised
Jun 7, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
307 w
Citations
8
Source
Wikipedia ↗
Cotoneaster coriaceus
C. coriaceus flowers
Fruit
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Genus: Cotoneaster
Species:
C. coriaceus
Binomial name
Cotoneaster coriaceus
Synonyms1
  • Cotoneaster lacteus W.W.Sm.
  • Cotoneaster oligocarpus C.K.Schneid.
  • Cotoneaster smithii G.Klotz
  • Pyrus coriacea (Franch.) M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus lactea (W.W.Sm.) M.F.Fay & Christenh.
  • Pyrus smithii (G.Klotz) M.F.Fay & Christenh.

Cotoneaster coriaceus (syn. Cotoneaster lacteus), the late cotoneaster2 or milkflower cotoneaster,3 is a species of flowering plant in the family Rosaceae, native to Tibet and south-central China.1 It is a large evergreen shrub growing to 4 m (13 ft) tall and wide. Clusters of white flowers are followed by masses of small, globose, red fruits (pomes) in autumn.4 Unusually for this genus, the fruits are avoided by birds, hence garden escapes are rare, and the fruit persists on the plant throughout the winter.5

The Latin specific epithet lacteus refers to the milk-white flowers,6 and coriaceus refers to its leathery leaves.

Cotoneaster coriaceus may be grown as a hedge. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.7

C. coriaceus plants, UNM Arboretum source ↗
References

References

  1. "Cotoneaster coriaceus Franch". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 25 April 2025.
  2. BSBI List 2007 (xls). Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 26 June 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  3. NRCS. "Cotoneaster lacteus". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 17 January 2016.
  4. RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  5. Bourne, Val (17 January 2004). "How to grow: Cotoneaster lacteus". The Telegraph. TMG Ltd. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  6. Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. p. 224. ISBN 9781845337315.
  7. "Cotoneaster lacteus". RHS. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 5 May 2020.