Rhaphiolepis umbellata
| Rhaphiolepis umbellata | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Evergreen | |
| Height: | 8' |
| Width: | 8' |
| Speed: | Slow |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Late Spring |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Rhaphiolepis umbellata (common name: japanese hawthorn)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a warm greenhouse[1]. Stored seed should be sown in February/March in a warm greenhouse[1]. Germination is variable[1]. 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[1][2].
Layering[3].
Cultivation: Requires a well-drained moisture retentive fertile loam or peaty soil in a warm sheltered sunny position[4][3]. Prefers a position in light shade[5]. An easily grown plant but it is intolerant of dry cold[6]. Judging by its habitat, it should be fairly tolerant of maritime exposure[7]. Plants are tolerant of sea spray[8].
Tolerating temperatures down to about -15°c[3], it is normally hardy at Kew[9].
A polymorphic species[7], there are some named varieties selected for their ornamental value[3].
The plant bears honey-scented hawthorn-like blossoms[8].
Plants do not require pruning[10]. They are of slow to moderate growth rate[5].
Plants resent root disturbance and so are best grown in pots and then planted out into their permanent positions as soon as possible[3].
Range: E. Asia - Japan.
Habitat: Thickets near the seashore, C. and S. Japan[7].
Edibility: Seed - used as a flour[11]. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails[12].
Usage: Plants can be used for informal hedging in areas that are frost free or almost so[3].
A brown dye is obtained from the bark[13][14].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
In Leaf: Evergreen
Seed Ripens: Early Fall-Mid Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: R. japonica. R. ovata. Laurus umbellata.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Sheat, Wilfrid. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. St Martin, 1948.
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Davis, Brian. Climbers and Wall Shrubs. Viking, 1990.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Shrubs. Pan Books, 1989.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ohwi, Jisaburo. Flora of Japan. Smithsonian Institution, 1965.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray, 1992.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ Uphof, Johannes. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim, 1959.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.