Indian Hawthorn Habitats

Native Habitat

• Indian hawthorn is native to southern China, India and Indonesia. In its native range, it grows on wooded hillsides and near streams, where the soil is consistently moist but well drained. It also does well in exposed, sunny locations, so it often spreads freely along roadsides. In its native Asia, Indian hawthorn is prolific in the wild, but it has not historically been cultivated as a landscape plant there.

Hardiness

• Indian hawthorn is frost tender, and it is hardy in only the warmest climates in the continental United States. It can survive winters in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 8 to 10, and in areas where temperatures approach freezing, the shrub does best in a protected location that will help to minimize damage from the cold.

Soil and Light Requirements

• Indian hawthorn grows best in locations that get full sun, but it can tolerate some shade if conditions are otherwise good. It requires consistent moisture, so it doesn't do well in dry soils; the moist soil that it prefers, however, must be well drained because it can't tolerate saturated soil or standing water. Despite its preference for regular watering, though, Indian hawthorn can handle moderate drought conditions after it is well established. You should take care to avoid watering late in the day and leaving water on the leaves overnight, as the shrub is vulnerable to leaf spot, a condition that can be caused by over-irrigation.

Landscape Uses

• Indian hawthorn forms dense mounds, so it works well as a small hedge or screen in the landscape. Because it remains relatively small, it also functions well as a foundation planting. Its ability to withstand difficult conditions such as sandy soils, direct sunlight, salt spray and pollution, means that it is well suited for use in urban areas, in highway medians and in coastal gardens.