Jan 28, 2024 3 min read

Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster Glaucophyllus)

Gang Gang eating lots of berries and distributing seed all over the place!

This weed species (also known as large leaf cotoneaster, hawthorn) has been particularly prevalent around the grounds of Eaglemont Station. The New South Wales, Department of Primary Industries states: It

is poisonous to people, dogs and livestock
forms dense thickets under trees shading out local native species.

Can also be dangerous when cutting branches laden berries! Lucky I was wearing safety glasses.

What does it look like?

Cotoneaster is a large upright or arching evergreen shrub that grows to about 3m tall. It has clusters of small berries in autumn and winter. Some of the examples around the station have been quite a bit bigger than 3 metres and horribly multi- trunked and spreading. Fortunately Vic-track sent us some arborists last year who cut down some of the larger examples and saved some of the timber for us to use as pathway stakes, edges and of course PENCILS!

The outbound underpass ramp topped by berry dropping cotoneaster. (Now cleared)

John and I filled many a green bin and blunted our secateurs with this rubbish weed.

This example of multi-trunked Cotoneaster spread over about 5 by 5 metres strangling other vegetation.

Turns out that the timber of the trunk is very dense and hard and quite good for making stakes for paths and PENCILS! The only problem was the timber was so hard it was regularly blunting our tools, especially our chainsaw. It was also difficult to find straight pieces which you will see if you look at the finished product displayed next to the station ramp. (Don't Look!)

Hopefully this year Vic-track will send us some more arborists to cull out some more on the inbound side of the station.

The uses for cotoneaster timber are almost endless.....

Cotoneaster mouth and and nose! Who would've thought a weed species would be so useful!

I would like to thank Malcolm, Mike and Steve C for their exceptional work in helping finish the installation of John's sculptures, various giant pencils and the Fairy houses House. Thanks also to Bronwyn for supplying much of the timber (non-cotoneaster) and paint.

Stephen Lake