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Rhaphiolepis umbellata

Common name:	Japanese Hawthorn	Family:	Rosaceae
Author:	(Thunb.)Makino.	Botanical references:	11, 58, 200
Synonyms:	Rhaphiolepis ovata (Briot.), Rhaphiolepis japonica (Siebold.&Zucc.), Laurus umbellata (Thunb.)
Known Hazards:	None known
Range:	E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat:	Thickets near the seashore, C. and S. Japan[58].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	1	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	0

Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	bella = pretty;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Rosales. Rose family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 2.5m by 2.5m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 1/5 for edibility and 0/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime exposure.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Hedge, Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade.

Edible Uses

Seed.

Seed - used as a flour[105]. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails[177].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

None known

Other Uses

Dye; Hedge.

Plants can be used for informal hedging in areas that are frost free or almost so[200].
A brown dye is obtained from the bark[46, 61].

Cultivation details

Requires a well-drained moisture retentive fertile loam or peaty soil in a warm sheltered sunny position[11, 200]. Prefers a position in light shade[202]. An easily grown plant but it is intolerant of dry cold[184]. Judging by its habitat, it should be fairly tolerant of maritime exposure[58]. Plants are tolerant of sea spray[245].
Tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c[200], it is normally hardy at Kew[1].
A polymorphic species[58], there are some named varieties selected for their ornamental value[200].
The plant bears honey-scented hawthorn-like blossoms[245].
Plants do not require pruning[182]. They are of slow to moderate growth rate[202].
Plants resent root disturbance and so are best grown in pots and then planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a warm greenhouse[78]. Stored seed should be sown in February/March in a warm greenhouse[78]. Germination is variable[78]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5cm with a heel, September/October in a frame. Fair percentage[78, 113].
Layering[200].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The plant bears honey-scented hawthorn-like blossoms[245].

Cultivars

'': No entries have been made for this species as yet.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

PFAF Web Pages

This plant is mentioned in the following web pages

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[58] Ohwi. G. Flora of Japan. (English translation) Smithsonian Institution 1965
The standard work. Brilliant, but not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[105] Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976
The most comprehensive guide to edible plants I've come across. Only the briefest entry for each species, though, and some of the entries are more than a little dubious. Not for the casual reader.

[113] Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987 ISBN 0942375009
A very detailed book on propagating trees. Not for the casual reader.

[177] Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984 ISBN 3874292169
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of latin names with a brief list of edible parts.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[184] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books 1989 ISBN 0-330-30258-2
Excellent photographs and a terse description of 1900 species and cultivars.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[202] Davis. B. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking. 1990 ISBN 0-670-82929-3
Contains information on 2,000 species and cultivars, giving details of cultivation requirements. The text is terse but informative.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.