Thyme Leaf Cotoneaster - Cotoneaster microphylla 'Thymifolius'

A darling little shrub for the miniature garden, fairy garden or bonsai. A highly coveted as a tree for the miniature garden - let me count the ways:

• the foliage is always in-scale 
• it's evergreen
• it can be trained like a bonsai
• the pretty, tiny, spring flowers turn into berries for the summer.
• garden railroaders train it to look like an apple tree. (Limb-it-up to find some trunk then start to gradually shape the canopy.)

White or pinkish flowers in the summer followed by red inedible berries. Pretty spring flowers turn into red berries for the rest of the year.

• Evergreen
• Trees are 4" to 5" tall in 4" pots
• Great for in-ground or containers
• Also known as 'Thyminifolia'

• Needs full sun, in desert areas shelter it from the hot sun
• Cold hardy in Zones 5 to 9, or to -20F
• Heat zones 8 - 6

• Needs well-drained soil
• Regular water, let dry out to damp to avoid over-watering

• Growth rate estimated at 3" to 5" per year, but can to be pruned
• Spreading growth habit

• An outdoor plant
• Pot shown is 4" wide

PRO-TIP: Prune no more than 1/3 of the tree off at one time. Allow the tree to recover (wait to see new growth) before taking more off or you may kill the tree. This is general rule for pruning any plant.