Japanese hawthorn, Yeddo hawthorn
Rhaphiolepis umbellata

Family: Rosaceae

What it is like

A bushy shrub. It grows 2-3 m tall. It spreads 2 m wide. The young stems have a dense covering of woolly hairs but these fall off. The leaf blade is broadly oval or half round and 4-9 cm long by 2.5-5 cm wide. It narrows into the leaf stalk. The leaf edges curve back slightly. There can be some teeth near the tip. The flowering shoot is stiff and branched. It is 4-8 cm long. There are usually 5-20 flowers. The flowers have a scent. The flower stalks are 3-10 mm long. The petals are broad and oval and 7-10 mm long. They are rounded and white. The fruit is flattened round shape or pear shape and 7-8 mm long. It is blue-black.

Where it is found

It is a warm temperate to subtropical plant. It grows in thickets near the seashore. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. Tasmanian Botanical Gardens. Wittunga Botanical Gardens. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, East Africa, Europe, Hawaii, Indonesia, Japan (country/location of origin), Korea, Mozambique, Norfolk Island, North America, Pacific, SE Asia, Slovenia, Taiwan, Tasmania, USA

How it is used for food

The fruit are cooked and eaten. They are also used for jam. The seeds are edible.

Edible parts

Seeds, fruit

How it is grown

Plants can be grown from seeds.

In China plants flower in April to June and fruit in September to November.

Its other names

Local names

Bunga yedo, Kokutan

Synonyms

Laurus umbellata Thunb.; Rhaphiolepis ovata;