The leaves are arranged alternately, 0.5–15 cm (0.20–5.91 in) long, ovate to lanceolate in shape, entire; both evergreen and deciduous species occur.

The fruit is a small pome 5–12 mm (0.20–0.47 in) diameter, pink or bright red, orange or even maroon or black when mature, containing one to three (rarely up to five) seeds.

[citation needed] Cotoneasters are very popular garden shrubs, grown for their attractive habit and decorative fruit.

[18] C. simonsii is listed on the New Zealand National Pest Plant Accord preventing its sale and distribution because of its invasiveness.

The name is correctly masculine, though in some older works it was wrongly treated as feminine, resulting in different name endings for many of the species (e.g.Cotoneaster integerrima instead of Cotoneaster integerrimus).