Indian Hawthorn

Indian hawthorn (Rhaphiolepis indica) is a dense, mounding evergreen shrub in the rose family, widely planted in mild climates for its neat habit and reliable spring bloom. Clusters of small, fragrant white-to-pink flowers cover the plant, followed by dark blue-black berries.

Its leathery, dark green foliage and naturally rounded form mean it needs little pruning to stay tidy, making it a go-to for low-maintenance foundation plantings, hedges, and mass plantings.

Tough and tolerant of heat, salt, and coastal conditions, it does best with good air circulation, since dense or shaded plantings are prone to leaf spot.

A compact, naturally rounded evergreen shrub.

• Flowers: clusters (panicles) of small, fragrant, 5-petaled white to pink blooms in spring
• Leaves: thick, leathery, dark green, oval with finely toothed edges; reddish when new and in cold weather
• Fruit: small blue-black berries (pomes) ripening late summer into fall
• Habit: dense, mounded, slow-growing, typically 3–6 ft tall and wide
• Form: tidy and self-shaping, rarely needing pruning

Easygoing in warm climates.

• Light: full sun for best flowering and disease resistance; tolerates part shade
• Water: moderate while establishing; drought-tolerant afterward
• Soil: adaptable but needs good drainage; tolerates salt and sandy coastal soils
• Temperature: hardy in USDA zones 8–11
• Feeding: light spring feeding with balanced fertilizer
• Pruning: minimal; shape lightly after flowering if needed
• Propagation: semi-hardwood cuttings; provide airflow to limit Entomosporium leaf spot

Rhaphiolepis indica is native to southern China and Southeast Asia, growing in open woodlands and on slopes in warm, humid conditions; related species and hybrids extend to Japan.

It is now one of the most common landscape shrubs in the warm regions of the southern United States, California, the Mediterranean, and similar climates, valued for coastal and urban toughness.