Culture
Winter hardy to USDA Zones 8-10 where this shrub is easily grown in moist, fertile, well-drained soils in full sun. Tolerates light shade, but best flowering and best resistance to leaf spot disease occur in locations with full sun. Established plants tolerate some drought, but prefer regular and consistent moisture. Avoid wetting the leaves when watering this shrub because of its susceptibility to leaf spot. If needed, prune after flowering. This shrub is not winter hardy to the St. Louis climate.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Rhaphiolepis of the rose family is a genus of evergreen shrubs commonly known as India hawthorn. Genus members are endemic to certain warm-temperate to tropical regions in eastern Asia, most often being found on slopes, open wooded areas along streams, and roadsides in China and Japan. Genus plants typically mature to 4-6’ tall, and feature an often abundant mid to late spring bloom of fragrant, 5-petaled, white or pink flowers, each having 15-20 stamens. Flowers (to 1/2” wide) bloom in racemes or panicles on stems clad with alternate, leathery, dark green leaves. Flowers are followed by small purple or black pomes.
Rhaphiolepis x delacourii, commonly known as hybrid Indian hawthorn, is a garden hybrid that was first reported in the late 19th century by a gardener named Delacour at Villa Allerton in Cannes, France. This hybrid exhibits characteristics which are intermediate between its parents, Rhaphiolepis umbellate and Rhaphiolepis indica.
Genus name comes from the Greek words rhaphis meaning a needle and lepis meaning a scale for the very narrow persistent bracteoles on the inflorescence.
Hybrid name of delacourii is in reference to the gardener (Delacour) who discovered this hybrid.
‘Wilcor’, commonly sold in commerce under the trade name of SPRING SONATA, is a hybrid cultivar that matures to a more compact 2-4’ tall. It was discovered as an openly pollinated seedling of R x delacourii ‘Georgia Charm’ (U.S. Plant Patent PP9,982) in May of 1995 and was given the cultivar name of ‘Wilcor’, although it is now commonly sold in commerce under the trade name of SPRING SONATA. It retains many of the virtues of its parents including excellent tolerance of heat, drought, salt and diseases. It is particularly noted for its dense, mounding growth habit, resistance to Entomosporium leaf spot, increased cold hardiness and abundance of late blooming (mostly late April-May) white flowers. Globose drupaceous fruits (to 3/8” diameter) ripen to gray-purple in fall.
U.S. Plant Patent PP17,972 was issued on September 4, 2007. It should be noted that the genus name on the U.S. patent is spelled Raphiolepis which is generally considered by authorities today as a synonym and spelling variant of Rhaphiolepis.
Problems
Leaf spot can be troublesome. Watch for aphids, nematodes and scale. Susceptible to fireblight.
Uses
Hedge. Foundations. Shrub borders.