Cranberry Cotoneaster Brown Leaves?

10 years ago

So lst November, I had the chance to give a new home to a large mature Cranberry Cotoneaster. It has already been dug up the day before and had a significant root ball. I planted it, filled in around it with dirt and mulched it, and then watered it. Two days later we got a nice bit of snow, and well, winter was here to stay. At times it was completely covered with snow, and -20 degree temps more than once.

Now that the snow has finally all melted and spring temps are coming around, almost all the leaves are brown. Most of the branches are pretty springy, and the leaves are not falling apart.

I have a Holly bush that the leaves went all brown on, but the stems are still green, and many other conifers and evergreen shrubs nearby have yellow or brown foilage,

I'm wondering if the CC should be expected to green up a bit with warmer weather or if it is toast, pun intended.

Thanks,

vince

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Comments (7)

floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
10 years ago
I hadn't heard of 'Cranberry' Cotoneaster, so I looked it up. It is Cotoneaster apiculatus and is listed as very hardy but it is a deciduous shrub. The fact that your plant is still covered in its last years dead leaves looks a bit worrying. I am imagining that it might have died shortly after transplanting and therefore never went through its proper end of year leaf drop resulting in the mummified foliage remaining all winter. If you break off a twig does it bend or snap? If you scratch the bark is it green or brown?
farmboy1
Original Author
10 years ago
Thanks! The twigs do bend rather than break easily, and there is some green in some of them. So it may not be dead, but getting there.... What had me wondering is all the other plants, as I mentioned, that also have some or all brown foliage.

vince
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wannabegardnr
10 years ago
It probably didn't get time to shed it leaves before it froze. Wait another month, it's still too early.
Sequoiadendron4
10 years ago
I have a cranberry cotoneaster and it always loses its leaves in the fall. I would definitely wait to see if it greens up. Mine is just starting to get leaf buds. If yours does make it, expect the rabbits to ravage it over next winter. They love to eat mine. Quite a beautiful shrub though.
farmboy1
Original Author
10 years ago
Well, it was nice out yesterday, and I started snipping some branches to see how much green I could find. Before long I was getting out the loppers. And then I was cutting everything off and finding very little actual green. So it all got chopped up and is now on the burn pile.

I don't feel bad, there wasn't very much life left in it.

But thanks for all the very interesting replies. Rabbits will not be happy....

vince
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
So last November, I had the chance to give a new home to a large mature Cranberry Cotoneaster.

==>>> hitch it to the bumper and drag it home???

massive.. massive LEAF damage due east of you 200 odd miles .. conifers.. shrubs... everything evergreen ...

the future is all in the buds ... i would say 99% of the buds on my damaged plants look just fine... study yours ..

flexible branches is good ...

give it at least 30 days.. for soil to warm.. and spring growth to trigger.. then we will know if its viable ...

keep us posted..

ken
farmboy1
Original Author
10 years ago
Sadly, too late now. No buds. Cut up and on the burn pile. Many branches dried out and brown, with little green left. Other trees and shrubs have green in them....

Yes, a lot of browning on "evergreen" leaves here too.

Was it really that cold?!?

vince