Pronounciation: Rha-fee-o-LEP-is IN-di-a

Hardiness zones
Sunset 8-10, 12-24
USDA 8 (sometimes foliage in winter is damaged by cold)-11

Landscape Use: In Phoenix, Indian hawthorn is a serviceable shrub for many types of mesic and oasis design themes, flowering accent, foundation plantings, border shrub, small informal hedge, raised planter beds, raised planter boxes (dwarf cultivars only), tree standards (mostly seen in southern California landscapes), and bonzai.

Form & Character: Rounded, informal, clean, dependable, colorful, well behaved.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, woody, broadleaf perennial shrub, slow to moderate growth rate, ultimately ranging in height from a 2- to 8-feet tall with a somewhat greater spread depending on cultivar.

Foliage/Texture: Leathery green, new growth often reddish, oblong to lanceolate to 2- to 3-inches long, sometimes tinged with purple, oval leaves with sometimes crenate margins; medium texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Flowers grown on many 1- to 2-inches terminal panicle clusters, individual flowers small, ranging in color from white, pink to wine red, attract bees; fruit is a small black drupe borne in summer and fall.

Seasonal Color: Brilliant display of flowers mostly in Phoenix during March.

Temperature: Indian hawthorn is tolerant to 10^oF, but foliage is damaged if temperatures exceeds 115^oF.

Light: Full sun to partial shade, but not for full shade or hot blazing western exposures, eastern exposures are best in Phoenix.

Soil: Tolerant except of high alkalinity where interveinal chlorosis will develop.

Watering: Mildly drought tolerant, but will needs regular water, especally during summer.

Pruning: Little, except to rarely use heading cuts to promote shape. Prune only during May after bloom.

Propagation: Seed, though vegetative softwood cuttings are best.

Disease and Pests: Aphids, firelight, and bacterial leaf spot during periods of moist cool weather (like that ever happens in Phoenix).

Additional comments: Indian Hawthorn is an outstanding and serviceable landscape shrub that is widely used across the entire southern half of the United States. There are many terrific cultivars for various forms (upright to prostrate) and flower colors (white to wine red). Some of the older, reliable cultivars include:

• 'Ballerina' - dwarf and prostrate, difficult to grow in Phoenix because of the summer heat, needs western shade.
  
• 'Cosmic White' - giant white flowers introduced from Australia.
  
• 'Jack Evans' - medium size and mounding, purple foliage and deep pink flowers (this IS my all time favorite Indian hawthorn cultivar).
  
• 'Enchantress' - vigorous and upright, pink flowers.
  
• 'Clara' - dense, rounded and symmetrical, white flowers.
  
• 'Pink Cloud' - vigorous and asymmetrical, pink flowers.

More Rhaphiolepis: Recently, wholesale nurseries such as Monrovia Nursery are promoting and selling through retail outlets in Phoenix Rhaphiolepis umbellata 'Minor' (compact habit). Though not commonly seen growing in Phoenix landscapes, I suspect it will need full protection from the western sun to survive a Phoenix summer.