Hess Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster 'Hessei')
kah-TONE-ee-ass-ter 'Hessei'

Deciduous Perennial Shrub in the Rosaceae Family
A genuinely Chicago-bred groundcover shrub, selected at the Morton Arboretum for its dense, mounded habit.

Cotoneaster 'Hessei', commonly called Hess cotoneaster, is a low, spreading shrub selected from the Morton Arboretum's collection and introduced through the Chicagoland Grows® plant introduction program -- a joint effort of the Chicago Botanic Garden, the Morton Arboretum, and the Ornamental Growers Association of Northern Illinois. It forms a dense, mounded habit only 1-2 feet tall but considerably wider, with glossy dark green leaves on arching branches that turn reddish-purple in fall. Tiny pinkish-red flowers appear in mid-spring, followed by small red berries that persist into fall. A genuinely Chicago-area-bred selection, it's a tough, reliable low shrub for foundations, slopes, or the front of a border.

Pros

  • Chicago-area-bred (Morton Arboretum/Chicagoland Grows) selection
  • Low, dense, mounded habit -- stays under 2 ft tall
  • Good reddish-purple fall color and persistent red berries

Cons

  • Spreads considerably wider than tall -- needs room
  • Berries are mildly toxic; keep children and pets from eating them
  • Flowers are small and not especially showy
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 24 inches tall. 3 - 7 feet wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium : Drought-tolerant once established
Zones 4a - 7b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Deciduous, Full Sun, Medium, Medium, Most Popular, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Shrub
Bloom Period June
Flower Color Pinkish-red
Foliage Color Green
 

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Pricing and Availability History

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Past Availability
2025 : 04/03 - 10/04
2024 : 05/01 - 10/05
2023 : 05/04 - 09/30

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!