Cotoneaster rehderi Pojark., Bullate Cotoneaster
Account Summary
Garden escape, rare.
4 October 1998; Northridge, R.H.; Derrygore, NW Enniskillen town.
This garden shrub, native of W China, was found on the bank of the River Erne Narrows just as it enters Lower Lough Erne – a site where it undoubtedly was bird-sown. C. rehderi is a medium to large-sized, deciduous shrub that is very similar to C. bullatus Bois (Hollyberry Cotoneaster) and, without a doubt, it is sometimes confused with it.
It reproduces readily by seed and, in lowland Britain at least, is regularly bird-sown and frequently becomes naturalised. The only other Irish record of C. rehderi known to the current author (RSF) is in Cahergal, Co Waterford (H6), where Paul Green discovered it in 2000 (Cat Alien Pl Ir; Green 2008).
Threats
Potentially this neophyte could become a nuisance if it invaded a nature reserve, but generally, it is too infrequent to pose any real threat to native species.