Q. I used to live in Virginia and had English holly shrubs to provide greens for holiday decorations. Now that I live in Southern California, I could use a suggestion for a good holly substitute that I could plant.
A. If rich green leaves and red berries are your goal, then cotoneaster might be a good plant to consider. The leaves will not be as shiny as holly leaves, but they won’t be as prickly, either. As an added advantage over English holly, cotoneaster does not require both a male and female plant to produce the bright red berries, as English holly does.
There are many species of cotoneaster to choose from that range in size from 1 foot tall and 6 feet wide to as much as 10 feet tall and 15 feet wide. They all have small, white flowers that bloom in spring, followed by ornamental clusters of red berries in fall and winter. Sometimes you can have flowers and berries at the same time.
Cotoneasters are all considered very low maintenance shrubs that tolerate poor, dry soil quite well. When planted on slopes, they help control erosion. Most cotoneasters look best when they are not pruned severely or hedged, but left to their natural form, so it’s important to select a variety suitable to the space you have. The light prunings that you might do to keep the plant tidy are likely to satisfy your needs for holiday decorations easily.
As with other members of the rose family, cotoneaster is susceptible to fireblight, a bacterial disease characterized by sudden wilting, blackening and dieback of a branch. If it should occur, the remedy is to prune the affected branch at least 6 inches below the affected area. Be sure to sterilize your pruning tools before and after each cut with a solution of one part household bleach to nine parts water to avoid spreading the disease.
The most commonly planted large shrub-type is Cotoneaster lacteus, sometimes called red clusterberry. This species can grow to 6 or 8 feet tall and wide. The leaves are leathery, dark green on the upper surface and whitish-green on the underside. The branches take on an arching form, with showy clusters of red berries along them and at the ends. While pruning is not required, when the shrubs reach maturity, the removal of some of the old wood each year will ensure the shrubs always look fresh. By timing your pruning to the winter season, you can benefit both your shrubs and your holiday decorations.
Q. We planted some camellias several years ago. I’ve never been sure when they should be fertilized, or the type of product to use.
A. The appropriate fertilizer for camellias is one labeled for acid-loving plants. The fertilizer label may even specify camellias, gardenias and azaleas. Make the first application at the start of the blooming season in winter, and a second application in the spring when leafy growth resumes. Follow the package recommendations for the amount of fertilizer to apply.
Ottillia “Toots” Bier has been a UC Cooperative Extension master gardener since 1980. Send comments and questions to features@pressenterprise.com.
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