Rhaphiolepis Indian Hawthorn — Australia's Most Versatile Evergreen Shrub

About

Rhaphiolepis — also widely spelled Raphiolepsis, though the botanically correct name has two h's — is a genus of approximately 15 species of evergreen shrubs in the rose family Rosaceae, native to warm temperate and subtropical East Asia. So closely related to loquats (Eriobotrya) that the two genera can hybridise with each other, Rhaphiolepis shares the loquat's characteristic glossy, leathery foliage and its remarkable adaptability to coastal and challenging garden conditions. Common name: Indian Hawthorn — a reference to both its geographic origin (southern China and Southeast Asia) and the hawthorn-like clusters of small flowers it produces each spring and autumn. In Australia, Rhaphiolepis is widely considered the most versatile all-condition evergreen shrub available: frost tolerant, drought tolerant once established, salt-spray tolerant, tolerant of clay and sandy soils, heat tolerant, shade tolerant, and happy in pots. It hedges, it borders, it features, it masses — reliably and without complaint. At Online Plants , our collection spans compact groundcover forms to upright screening shrubs, white-flowered to deep pink, spring to autumn flowering — all backed by our 30-day grow guarantee and delivered fresh to your door across VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, and ACT. Full Variety Reference Table Common Name Botanical Name Species Height Spread Flower Colour Season Frost Coastal Best Use Oriental Pearl R. indica 'Oriental Pearl' indica hybrid 60–80cm 60–80cm Small clusters White + pink stamens Autumn–Spring Mod ❄️ ✅ Good Dwarf borders, pots, mass Springtime (Pink) R. indica 'Springtime' indica hybrid 1–1.2m 1–1.2m Upright panicles Pink Spring–Autumn Mod ❄️ ✅ Good Cottage hedge, borders Snow Maiden R. indica 'Snow Maiden' indica hybrid 75cm 50cm Clusters White Winter–Spring Hardy ❄️ ✅ Good Compact hedge, pots, borders Apple Blossom R. indica 'Apple Blossom' indica hybrid 80–100cm 80–100cm Clusters Pink-white bicolour Spring Mod ❄️ ✅ Good Cottage, border, informal hedge Maje