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Common Name: Japanese Hawthorn

General Information

Rhaphiolepis umbellata is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 2.50 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

E. Asia - Japan.

Habitat

Thickets near the seashore, C. and S. Japan[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.50 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

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

Edible Uses

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

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

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

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a warm greenhouse[]. Stored seed should be sown in late winter/early spring in a warm greenhouse[]. Germination is variable[]. 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/early autumn in a frame. Fair percentage[, ].
Layering[].