Yeddo Rhaphiolepis Yeddo Hawthorn

You identify Yeddo rhaphiolepis by its dense, mounded form and glossy dark green leathery leaves that often show a purplish cast in winter. This evergreen broadleaf shrub grows 4 to 6 feet tall and equally wide, creating an attractive rounded habit. The simple, ovate to broadly ovate leaves are 2.5 to 5 centimeters long with serrated margins and lustrous appearance. In spring (April to May), fragrant white flowers appear in dense, upright clusters, sometimes tinged with pink. These are followed by small, bluish black fruit about 2 centimeters in diameter. Native to Japan and Korea, this shrub thrives in coastal influenced climates.

You grow Rhaphiolepis umbellata in full sun with moist, well drained soils and a pH between 4.5 and 8.5, though established plants tolerate moderate drought. Hardy through zones 7 to 8, this slow growing shrub has low maintenance needs and reaches full size gradually. Best flowering occurs in full sun locations; light shade is tolerated. Avoid wetting the leaves when watering due to susceptibility to leaf spot, scab, and rust. Watch for spider mites, scale insects, pear slugs, hawthorn aphids, and apple and thorn skeletonizers. Birds are attracted to the fruit. The dwarf cultivar 'Minor' (Dwarf Yeddo Rhaphiolepis) reaches just 3 to 4 feet. Use this evergreen in hedges or as a specimen where you want year round foliage and spring flowers in Western Washington's Zone 8b microclimates.