Its natural range is in Western China (provinces of Hubei, Sichuan, Xizang, and Yunnan), where it is found in a range of woodland and shrub biotopes from 900 to 3200 m above sea level.

The plant was introduced into cultivation 1898,[1] and is widely naturalised in Europe,[2] New Zealand[3] and possibly British Columbia[4] in North America (although this is now considered to be the closely related C. rehderi,[5] which was formerly treated as a variety of this species, C. bullatus var macrophylla).

Hollyberry cotoneaster is an arching deciduous shrub, which grows to heights of 3–4 metres.

Twigs are initially hairy, but lose the hairs to become glabrous at maturity.

The upper leaf surface is dark green, wrinkled and blistered (bullate, glabrous or finely hairy; the underside is grey-green, finely hairy, especially along the secondary veins.