Indian Hawthorn
Raphiolepis indica 'Ponto's Pink Clara'
HEIGHT: 36"-48"
SPREAD: 48" Typically planted 30 on center
SUN: Prefers Sun
WATER: Medium, low once established
GROWTH: Slow
MAINTENANCE: Low
HARDY ZONES: 7-10
HABIT: Evergreen, Dense foliage mounded round shape, Frost tolerant to -3F, Drought tolerant, Salt Tolerant.
BLOOMS: Small, clustered pink flowers in Spring and some flowers again in Fall. There are many varieties with different white and pink flowers.
SPREAD: 48" Typically planted 30 on center
SUN: Prefers Sun
WATER: Medium, low once established
GROWTH: Slow
MAINTENANCE: Low
HARDY ZONES: 7-10
HABIT: Evergreen, Dense foliage mounded round shape, Frost tolerant to -3F, Drought tolerant, Salt Tolerant.
BLOOMS: Small, clustered pink flowers in Spring and some flowers again in Fall. There are many varieties with different white and pink flowers.
PERSONAL THOUGHTS ON THIS PLANT:
Indian Hawthorn gets my vote for the Best-All-Around-Shrub category in Houston. It's evergreen. It survives the random hard frosts we have, the extreme heat and the droughts...and it's lovely. It's the one plant I can rely on to look full and lush where others may look scraggly at first or over time. It also needs very little maintenance to look its best. It has a beautiful rolling sort of appearance when planted in a mass. Indian Hawthorn works great as a medium border plant because it can hide any of the awkward leggy spots that taller shrubs sometimes have. The most ubiquitous commercial planting around Houston involves some combination of Indian Hawthorn and Knock Out Roses because they are the most likely to live through the hell that is Houston's weather and look good doing it.
Just like Pittosporum, Indian Hawthorn really thrives in full sun or partial sun. The only Indian Hawthorn I have ever seen look truly awful is planted in complete shade next to my house. To it's credit, it's still alive. It still flowers but it is leggy and scraggly and scares away small children. Also, deer find Indian Hawthorn appealing, although, to be fair, I have never actually seen a deer in the Houston.
Indian Hawthorn gets my vote for the Best-All-Around-Shrub category in Houston. It's evergreen. It survives the random hard frosts we have, the extreme heat and the droughts...and it's lovely. It's the one plant I can rely on to look full and lush where others may look scraggly at first or over time. It also needs very little maintenance to look its best. It has a beautiful rolling sort of appearance when planted in a mass. Indian Hawthorn works great as a medium border plant because it can hide any of the awkward leggy spots that taller shrubs sometimes have. The most ubiquitous commercial planting around Houston involves some combination of Indian Hawthorn and Knock Out Roses because they are the most likely to live through the hell that is Houston's weather and look good doing it.
Just like Pittosporum, Indian Hawthorn really thrives in full sun or partial sun. The only Indian Hawthorn I have ever seen look truly awful is planted in complete shade next to my house. To it's credit, it's still alive. It still flowers but it is leggy and scraggly and scares away small children. Also, deer find Indian Hawthorn appealing, although, to be fair, I have never actually seen a deer in the Houston.