The Indian Hawthorn Shrub Is A Showcase In The Spring
The
Indian Hawthorn or Raphiolepis indica
is a showcase in zones seven through ten in the
United States and native to China. This specie
can also be found in many countries in Europe and
Asia. The shrub is an evergreen and will thrive
in full sun. It can take some shade but leaf spots
can develop if planted in total shade. The Hawthorn
is considered a low maintenance shrub and is
drought tolerant once established.
This is one of my favorite shrubs due to the different varieties
and also for its adaptation to many garden settings.
It can be planted around swimming pools and decorative
ponds. You can use it as border or the larger varieties
as backdrops. The smaller versions make a great container
plant on a patio or deck or full container gardens.
One of the highlights of the Indian Hawthorn is its
brilliant
mass of tiny white or deep pink flowers appearing in spring.
The leaves are glossy
and reveal a rich green tone. The leaf color remains
this way from spring throughout the fall. When
cooler temperatures arrive in the border zones,
especially zone seven, the leaves will take on
a red tint as signs of winter approaches. In late
summer, shiny blue berries arrive and the berries
give this plant family another dimension for your
landscape.
The Hawthorn is a spectacular specie
for coastal regions as it tolerates salt and high
humidity. The
Indian Hawthorn will do well in many areas of the tropics.
It is also known to grow in some locations in zone eleven.
The Hawthorn can grow anywhere from four to ten feet in
height and four to ten feet in width.
The
Enchantress is a dwarf variety with pink flowers. It will grow three to four feet
high. The
Fascination is also a dwarf and has both pinkish white flowers. The
Snow White
is a spreading dwarf that bears white flowers and has somewhat of a lighter green leaf. The
Majestic Beauty
is a larger hybrid and can reach ten feet high. This specie has fragrant pink flowers and is a wonderful plant mingled
in with other evergreens. In the
gallery of plants section,
take a look at some of the different plant specimens that would
do well with the Hawthorn. Arborvitaes, Cypress, Ornamental
grass, Loropetalum, and even the traditional Boxwood.
The
Indian Hawthorn provides any landscape or garden with
year round color, mass of tiny flowers in the spring, and
brilliant blue berries in the late summer and early fall. A
great shrub investment for your property.
