Indian Hawthorn shrubs are easy to plant and almost maintenance free. Most commonly used as foundation plantings, these shrubs can be planted anywhere in your garden. Where I live, we are not allowed to build garages facing the front of the house so our garage entrance is on the side of the house. To cover the foundation wall that is part of the garage and faces the front, I planted a row of Indian Hawthorn shrubs along the wall. They are absolutely beautiful!
Most gardeners say that Indian Hawthorns grow between 2 to 5 feet tall and that may be true, but there are large ones that can grow much taller than that. You can also train the large shrubs to a small tree form by simply trimming it regularly. And what most people like about this shrub is the neat mounded form it has and its clusters of gorgeous pink or white flowers which you will start seeing mid April to the end of May. In late summer, those clusters of flowers turn into berries and persist through the winter.
The smaller species of Indian Hawthorn can be used as foundation shrubs or you can plant them along fences. Some gardeners use the larger shrubs as hedges, or for screening an area and some even use them as mass plantings. They grow well and prefer sun but will also grow in partial shade. Although Indian Hawthorns tolerate drought, it is best to keep the soil moist and well drained. Most Indian Hawthorns don’t need to be pruned but if necessary, it is best to do it after their blooming season.
One thing to remember is that although Indian Hawthorns are very hardy, they do get some diseases. The most common one is called entomosporium leaf spots. This disease usually occurs after frequent rainfall in spring and fall. If you see tiny red spots on young leaves, it is the beginning of leaf spots disease which can spread through the shrubs forming large blotches. You can slow the progression of the disease by spacing the shrubs in order to allow air movement in between the plants.
So far, I haven’t had any problems with my Indian Hawthorns and that may be due to the fact that I installed a drip irrigation system so they stay moist not drenched. And did I mention that the flowers are fragrant? The scent from my shrubs when in full bloom is delightful.
Here is a short video (courtesy of YouTube) about Indian Hawthorns.
Here are some other flower gardening sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Best Flower Gardening!
Cottage garden - Wikipedia the free encyclopedia
Flower Gardening - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com
Right Plants for Flower Gardening
Embrace the Chill: Plant Bulbs - WSJ.com
AOL.com Search Video - Flower Garden Tips
At The Chelsea Flower Show Photos - CBS News
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