Indian Hawthorn 'Majestic Beauty' Rhaphiolepsis indica
India Hawthorn: A Very
Attractive Flowering Shrub
Dr. Al Ferrer
Seminole County Urban Horticulturist
India Hawthorn, a member of the rose family,
is native to southern China. This attractive
small shrub grows well in all areas of the State
of Florida, is tolerant to low-temperatures and
relatively pest-free. It has nice dark green-colored
leaves and produces abundant apple-like flowers
in the spring. Small, round, dark blue fruits
follow the blooms, adding to the beauty of this
plant in the landscape. This attractive flowering
shrub requires very little care and has many
uses in the landscape.
The plant: India Hawthorn
is an evergreen shrub, with a slow rate of
growth, reaching about 5 feet tall and 5 feet
wide. The leaves are simple, up to 3 inches
long, alternate, leathery, finely serrated,
and clustered at the tip of the branches. Dark
green in color above and light green and often
brown pubescent on the veins on the under side.
Flowers are pinkish to white, fragrant, about
0.5 inch in diameter, with 5 narrow pointed
petals that grow in 3 to 4 inches long, loose
terminal panicles in the spring. The fruits
are small, round, about 0.5 inch, purple to
black in color.
Culture: Plants will grow and bloom best in full
sun, but will do well in partial shade. It prefers
fertile, slightly acid, well-drained soils but,
will grow well in most types of soils. If tolerates
moderate draught once established. During severe
drought periods, watering will be necessary to
avoid stressing the plants and making them susceptible
to pest problems. When planting, prepare a hole
twice as wide and as deep as the root ball, making
sure that the plant will remain at the same soil
level it had in the container. Fertilize lightly
in the spring and fall with a complete fertilizer.
It is mainly propagated by cuttings but can also
be propagated by seeds and air layering. There
are varieties that will grow to different heights
in their adult forms, buy varieties according
for the use intended and avoid most pruning practices.
A yearly pruning will be necessary if a small,
compact plant is desired and the variety grows
too tall for the desired effect. All pruning
should be done immediately after blooming ends,
in late spring or early summer. If grown as small
hedge, trim lateral branches. For lateral growth,
thin out the upright branches. It is an ideal
plant to grow in containers for patios and terraces,
because it is a prolific bloomer even when small,
grows slowly, and requires very little maintenance.
Mulching is recommended for this plant.
Varieties: The variety ‘Rosea’ has
deep pinkish flowers, and has a compact type
of growth; ‘Compact’ is a dwarf variety; ‘Alba’ has
white flowers. Other varieties planted in Florida
include ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Clara’, ‘Peggy’, ‘Rose
Janice’, ‘Majestic Beauty’,
and ‘Spring Rapture’.
Use: It is mostly used as a foundation shrub
or informal hedge, in containers, and in planters.
It is also planted in middle of the roads as
a ground cover.
Pests and diseases: Scales, leaf spots, fire
blight, and nematode problems affect this plant.
Leaf spot problems are more severe by excessive
watering with over-head sprinkler irrigation.
Entomosporium leaf spot is one of the most common
fungal diseases of this plant. Morning sun is
helpful in discouraging leaf spot and other fungal
diseases. If fire blight occurs, prune infected
branches during dry weather and apply a copper
fungicide immediately after pruning. Make sure
to discard all infected tissues removed from
the plant to avoid new infections. If scales
become a serious problem, an oil spray should
be used on infested plants to control this pest..
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