This evergreen shrub is only one example of the Cotoneaster genus, which is huge. The difficulty of cotoneasters is identifying the many species available, though some are abundant and are easily identified. I believe the two photos pictured here are indeed Cotoneaster salicifolius. (Common name, Willowleaf Cotoneaster).

Cotoneaster salicifolius, AKA willow leaf, is native to the mountains of western China. An evergreen shrub, 6-8(15) ft [1.8-2.4(4.5) m], spreading, arching to horizontal.   Leaves alternate, simple, willow-like, 4-9 cm long and 0.8-2.0 cm wide, 5-willow-leaved cotoneaster (Cotoneaster salicifolius) has relatively long and narrow leaves (25-90 mm long) with dark green, glossy and hairless (i.e. glabrous) upper surfaces. Dark green, wrinkled above, pubescent and glaucous below, while some yellow and red leaves in late fall and winter are a special treat.

My 410 gallon system consists of eight former olive shipping barrels. The first two I’ve had since the 1990s, when the City of Seattle had a program that made these 55 gallon barrels available for only $25 to any city resident.

The remaining six barrels were added to my system after moving to Vashon in 2005. These 50-gallon barrels came from Dan Borba in Tacoma–who at the time sold them for about $50.00 each. Dan was known to many as “The Rain Barrel Man.” He was a fierce environmentalist, devoting over 30 years of his life to the practice of harvesting and reusing the rain. Sadly, Dan died in March of this year. Read more about Dan in the Tacoma Daily Index.