shrub
Indian hawthorn
Rhaphiolepis indica
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Indian hawthorn is a slow-growing evergreen shrub hardy in zones 8–11. Expect 3–5 ft of height and 3–5 ft of spread; our lists space it 3.5 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part sun with little water once established. Expect pink and white flowers in March to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer do eat it, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Rhaphiolepis indica
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Water
- Low
- Soil
- Tolerates sandy, salty coastal soil; needs drainage.
- Mature size
- 3–5 ft tall × 3–5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 3.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Mar–May · pink and white
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- classic, modern, low water
- Deer resistance
- Low: deer eat it
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Not on the ASPCA list; no documented toxicity, but berries may cause mild stomach upset.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $25–$40 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water weekly through the first summer to root it in, then taper off; established plants need little extra water.
- Pruning
- Prune lightly after flowering; avoid overhead watering to limit leaf spot.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and EDIS fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Southeastern extension deer-resistance lists (UGA, Clemson, UF/IFAS); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, Southwest (as a substitute)
- Low-water plants for a full-sun bed in zone 9, California (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Indian hawthorn, across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
- Pink muhly grassMuhlenbergia capillarisornamental grass · zones 6–11
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
- Lily of the NileAgapanthus africanusperennial · zones 9–10
- Autumn sageSalvia greggiishrub · zones 7–11
- Threadleaf coreopsis 'Moonbeam'Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'perennial · zones 3–9
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Indian hawthorn: same role in the bed, passing the same rules. Some of them are flagged toxic to dogs or cats: check the pet note before you swap.
- Chinese fringe flower 'Purple Diamond'Loropetalum chinense 'Shang-hi'zones 7–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Dwarf yaupon holly 'Nana'Ilex vomitoria 'Nana'zones 7–10 · flagged toxic to pets
- Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf'Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf'zones 8–11 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Mexican honeysuckleJusticia spicigerazones 9–11 · flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants