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Willow-leaved cotoneaster (Cotoneaster salicifolius)

Willow-leaved cotoneaster is an introduced ornamental shrub that can escape gardens and establish in Australian bushland. Dense growth can shade native plants, while fruit-eating birds can disperse its seeds beyond planted areas.

Key facts

Type: Weed, shrub.

Native to: Southwestern China.

Established in: .

Other names: Willow-leaf cotoneaster, Willowleaf cotoneaster.

Best time to act: Look for plants while they are flowering in late spring and summer or when the red fruit is conspicuous, and treat before fruit can be dispersed.

Identification

  • An evergreen shrub with arching branches and long, narrow leaves, generally 25–90 mm long.
  • Leaves have glossy, dark green, hairless upper surfaces with prominent veins; the undersides are greyish and hairy.
  • Small white flowers grow in clusters along the branches.
  • Rounded fruits grow in clusters and turn bright red as they ripen.
  • Look-alike: Large-leaved cotoneaster (Cotoneaster glaucophyllus) has broader leaves, usually with smooth dark green upper surfaces, and its lower leaf hairs often wear off with age.
  • Look-alike: Firethorns (Pyracantha species) have spines, while hawthorns (Crataegus species) have lobed, often toothed leaves and stout thorns.

Where it grows

In Australia it can grow in gardens and establish in disturbed areas and bushland, particularly in temperate regions.

Why it matters

  • Established plants can form dense thickets that shade native ground flora and impede the regeneration of overstorey plants.
  • Birds and other animals eating the fruit can spread the shrub into surrounding vegetation.
  • Cotoneaster fruit can be poisonous to humans.

How it spreads

  • Bright red fruits are eaten by birds and other animals, which disperse the seeds.
  • Seed may also spread in dumped garden waste.

Control options

  • Remove small plants by hand, taking care to remove the root system; dispose of fruiting material securely so it cannot spread.
  • For larger shrubs, use an appropriate registered herbicide or other approved woody-weed treatment, following the product label and local requirements.
  • Check treated sites for regrowth and seedlings, and repeat control as needed.
  • Where relevant, report suspected invasive plants to the state or territory biosecurity agency.

Hygiene and washdown

  • Remove fruit and plant fragments from vehicles, machinery, boots and equipment before leaving an infested site, and dispose of them securely.
  • Avoid moving contaminated soil or garden waste, which may contain seeds.
  • Inspect and clean vehicles, plant and footwear before leaving an infested area, paying attention to tyres, radiators, belly plates, tracks and floor mats.
  • Wash down at a designated bay where runoff is contained and can be monitored for seedlings.
  • Record each washdown so the client has evidence of clean entry and exit.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: Not a priority weed. Not a state or regional priority weed in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Not declared. Not declared under the Catchment and Land Protection Act 1994. Other Victorian laws may still apply.
  • South Australia: Not declared. Not declared under the Landscape South Australia Act 2019. Other laws may still apply.
  • Western Australia: Not listed. Not found in the Western Australian Organism List. Check with DPIRD before moving or keeping it.
  • Tasmania: Not declared. Not a declared weed in Tasmania. Other laws may still apply.
  • Northern Territory: Check NT list. There is no NT weed profile for it. Check the NT declared weeds list for its current status.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Declared pest, prohibited. It is a declared pest throughout the ACT. Dealing with it, such as selling, moving or keeping it, is prohibited.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

Sources