Rhaphiolepis ‘Cosmic White’

Rhaphiolepis 'Cosmic White' (Rhaphiolepis indica 'Cosmic White') is the low hedge that stays tidy without being clipped into shape. It holds a dense rounded habit at about 1m tall and 1m wide, covers itself in white flowers through spring, and keeps glossy foliage down to ground level instead of going bare at the base. For a border that has to look after itself, it is difficult to beat.

Why you'll love it

• It shapes itself. The habit is naturally compact and rounded, so a low hedge reads as neat with one light trim a year instead of a monthly clip.
• Clean white spring flowering. Massed white flowers cover the whole plant, and the bees find them within days of opening.
• Coastal ready, and a wide climate range. Salt tolerant, heat tolerant and frost hardy, so it works on an exposed beachside block and from cool temperate gardens through to the subtropics.
• Low water once it is away. Drought tolerant after the first couple of summers, so an established hedge needs little watering.

Where it works best

Low hedging. Plant 60cm apart in a single row for a hedge that closes at around 1m tall. Tighter spacing does not speed up the join, and makes the row harder to water evenly.

Borders and mass planting. The same 60cm spacing gives roughly three plants per square metre, covering the ground and suppressing weeds once the canopies meet.

Coastal gardens and pots. Use it as the first line along a fence where salt wind hits, or in a 400mm or larger pot with good drainage.

Growing Rhaphiolepis 'Cosmic White' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun produces the heaviest flowering and densest growth. Part shade is tolerated, but expect fewer flowers. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and being frost hardy it handles cold southern winters without protection.

Soil. Not fussy about type, but it wants drainage. Work compost through the bed at planting, and on heavy clay raise the row on a low mound. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off as the roots go down. A complete slow release fertiliser straight after flowering supports the growth flush and sets up next spring's buds.

Pruning. Minimal. One light trim immediately after flowering keeps the shape and density. Avoid cutting in late summer or autumn, since that removes the wood carrying next spring's flowers.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in three sizes: tube stock, a 140mm pack of ten and a 200mm pack of six, sized around how the plant is used. Ten 140mm plants at 60cm spacing gives about a 6m run of low hedge, and six 200mm plants gives roughly 3.6m. Tube stock is the value option for a long boundary, a season behind but quick to catch up.

Young plants arrive compact rather than fully rounded, and fill out through their first growing season. Expect a hedge to close within two seasons in a warm garden, longer further south. Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Low maintenance shrubs for Australian gardens
• Compare the best hedging plants
• Salt tolerant plants for coastal blocks
• Plants that perform in pots and containers

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row. The plants knit into a continuous low hedge at about 1m tall within two seasons, with no thin patch along the bottom.

Does it need regular clipping?

No. The habit is naturally tidy, so one light trim after flowering is normally the whole job for the year. Clipping more often costs you flowers without improving the shape.

How is it different from the taller Indian hawthorns?

Size and flower colour. This is a compact white flowered form that stops at about 1m, where the older pink types reach 2m or more. Choose on the height you need first.