Cotoneaster frigidus, the tree cotoneaster,[1] is a species of flowering plant in the genus Cotoneaster of the family Rosaceae, native to the Himalayas. It is a deciduous tree or shrub growing to, with smooth, matt, alternate leaves 6–12 cm long and 4–5 cm broad.[2] The creamy-white flowers are followed by masses of small, globose, red fruit (pomes) 5 mm diameter in autumn, persisting into winter or later if not eaten by birds.[3] [4]
It is widely grown in parks and gardens in temperate regions, and is commonly naturalised as a result of bird-disperded seed in Great Britain and to a lesser extent in Ireland.[1] It is one of the parents of the very popular garden shrub Cotoneaster × watereri;[1] this can be distinguished by its narrower, more lanceolate, slightly more glossy leaves with slightly grooved leaf veins, characters inherited from its other parent Cotoneaster salicifolius.[2] The more compact cultivar 'Cornubia' (syn. C. × watereri 'Cornubia') has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. It grows to .[5]