Indian Hawthorn Rhaphiolepis indica

Indian hawthorn is a dense, rounded, mounding broadleaf evergreen shrub that grows 4 to 6 feet tall and equally as wide. In the spring, small fragrant white or pink flowers are born on panicles that cover the shrub. Dark berries appear after flowering and persist through the winter months. Birds and small mammals are attracted to the fruit. The leaves are leathery, oblong, alternate, serrate, and appear whorled at the ends of the stems. Initially, they emerge as bronze colored and transition to deep green. It is a member of the Rosaceae or rose family.

It is a native to southern China and is found on slopes and, along streams, roadsides near woodlands, 

The genus name, Rhaphiolepsis, is from the Greek words rhaphis which means needle, and lepis which refers to a scale on the bracteole of the flowers. The epithet, indica, translates as "of India."

Indian Hawthorn is winter hardy from hardiness zones 8 to 10. It is not cold tolerant. This shrub prefers full sun. It tolerates light shade, but the best flowering and resistance to fungal diseases occur in full sun. Moist, well-drained soils are needed although established shrubs have some drought tolerance. To prevent leaf spots, avoid wetting the leaves by avoiding the use of sprinklers. Pruning is best done after flowering in the spring. This shrub is browsed and enjoyed by deer. 

Frequently, this species is not found in the landscape. Commercially, plants may be listed as Rhaphiolepsis indica when they are a hybrid R. x delacouri which is a cross between R. indica and R. umbellata. 

It is often utilized in the coastal plains, as a specimen plant, in mass plantings, foundation planting, border planting, screens, containers, banks, or hedges.

Seasons of Interest:

Bloom:  Spring                 Foliage:  Year-round               Fruits:  Summer and Fall

Quick ID Hints:

• broadleaf evergreen, dense, rounded shrub, 4 to 6 feet tall and wide
• purplish-brown stems when young, grayish brown with age
• lanceolate to elliptical, leathery, serrate margins, simple, alternate, bronze to deep green leaves
• small white to pinkish carb-apple-like flowers in clusters from April to May
• bluish-black berries appear in the late summer and persist through winter

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: The shrub is susceptible to leaf spots, aphids, scale, fire blight, and nematodes. Entomosporium leaf spot is the most common disease of this shrub and is caused by a fungus known as Entomosporium mespili.   Tiny, round, red spots will appear on both sides of the leaves when infected. Fungal diseases increase in shady, humid climates, or after heavy rainfall in the spring and fall. To prevent leaf spots, it is best to use disease-resistant cultivars, provide good air circulation, plant in full sun, and use drip irrigation. Cold injury can occur in colder climates or during unseasonably cold winters.

VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy, and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.