As winter arrives in Leeds, the colours around me shift into darker, quieter tones. Fresh plant growth becomes limited, and everything feels more subdued. But in the middle of this stillness, one plant in my garden keeps catching my eye. It’s heavy with bright red berries, even though every leaf has already fallen.

Its official name is Cotoneaster horizontalis, also known as rockspray or wall spray, but I simply call it Winter Berry. It’s a popular garden shrub, known for its beautiful herringbone branching. Many people use it as ground cover or train it flat against walls because of the way it naturally spreads. In spring, it produces tiny white‑pink flowers. By autumn and winter, those flowers become clusters of reddish‑purple berries that last for months and feed the birds.

*Fun fact: in parts of the UK, this plant is considered an invasive species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In Wales, gardeners were even offered £20 vouchers to dig them up and dispose of them—because the plant spreads so easily beyond gardens.

Knowing that, I started wondering:
If it’s invasive, can it also be a colour source? Could these berries become part of a local dye palette instead of garden waste?
And then the questions kept coming:
Should I collect the berries in autumn or winter?
Would they give more colour fresh or dried?
How many do I need for a dye pot?

There was only one way to find out: I had to try it myself. So this is my story with Winter Berry.

If you’ve explored this plant, or something similar in your region,  I’d love to hear your experience. Please share in the comments below.