I've never seen anything like it, very useful - tough too.

I dunno, there I am scrabbling around in the dark on the balcony looking for the pot I know has a bit of Queen of Carpets in it - had to get the torch in the end, there's so many pots out there! Leaf size would be good to know - I just measured the largest leaf on the one I've got, and it's less than half an inch, but not much less, and a lot of the others are smaller because it's only tiny anyway. I don't think it is Queen of Carpets though, because yours has red at the base of the leaves, and Queen of Carpets doesn't, well the one I'm looking at doesn't. Probably some kind of Cotoneaster damerii, not sure what though.

Funny I have just spent hours getting rid of a soi dit ground cover Cotoneaster. Well, yes it did cover the ground, but it also covered every other plant in its vicinity and still allowed weeds to grow through it. Weedds which proved impossible to get out because of the stems of the shrub.

The only one in my 'bible' that could fit this is cotoneaster procumbens

Owdboggy has just described the habit of our cotoneaster to a 'T'. In the small agrden space it does need controlling and we often have to be sever with it. On the other hand, it is a great and unusual plant that I like.

This plant is Cotoneaster congestus. My parents have it in their garden and it forms a very dense, almost mossy carpet. It grows easily from cuttings too which is unlike most of the genus. One of my favourites.

I'll post a few of theirs in my pics when I go round on Saturday for my weekly Thai Green Curry:-)

Addendum: It is possibly the even smaller form of this species called 'Nanus'

I think this is the form that my parents have (and yours) as it really is completely dense and prostrate.

So many suggestions, thank you all. I must say that I prefer Fractal's congestus 'Nanus' of the options offered. It is a lower growing plant than congestus and I see that it is native to the Pyrenees.

Did you know that there is a native Cotoneaster which only grows on The Great Orme above Llandudno, North Wales? It is extremely rare and hard to propagate or so I am told.

Didn't know that, Owdboggy, interesting.

I will have a look for that OB but if I took some home I dont think it would grow for me there is no one around hear with a heard of white goats lol

PS BA I have PMed you

If you took some home Cliifo you would be extremely unpopular. It is a VERY VERY heavily protected plants. the Wardens of the Nature reserve will not tell anyone where it actually is.

not even for som mackeral and polick lol