Raphiolepis, "Indian Hawthorn" medium hedge

Raphiolepis "Indian hawthorn" is an long lived shrub that makes an excellent hedge.   Indian Hawthorn grows to around 2.5m with a width of around 1.5m.   Most Indian hawthorn shrubs are kept as hedges of around 1.5m and around 80cm wide, however they can grow larger.   Shrubs can also be kept at around 1m tall.   Plants have large, leathery, glossy leaves and the shrubs grow thickly making them great for hedges.   Plants will grow in a variety of soils from clays to sandy soils, however best soil types are loams.   Raphiolepis is suited best to temperate climates, but will grow in Mediterranean, sub-tropical and cool temperate regions.   Indian hawthorn has a praticularly long flowering in late winter and spring.  Plants produce masses of white flowers, which stay on the plant for extended periods, even under windy conditions.   Heavy pruning will reduce the flowersing, however if you wish to have lots of flowers, reduce pruning in autumn, to give the plant time to develop buds for spring.   Plants do not require much pruning, with a pruning twice a year being sufficient for the plant to maintain a good hedge shape.    Raphiolpis is also a very hardy hedge, with no major pest issues, tolerance to coastal conditions, salty soils, and is considered drought tolerant.   The major drawback to the Raphiolepis group of plants is that they are very slow growing.   Growth can be increased in spring with the addition of a general prupose fertiliser.   The main growth period for Raphiolepis is in spring and early summer.   Plants are long lived and will live to around 60 years.

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