Umbellata Rhaphiolepis

Umbellata Rhaphiolepis (Rhaphiolepis umbellata) is the hedge to reach for on a hard, exposed site. It is a compact evergreen shrub to about 2.5m tall and 2m wide, with leathery dark leaves held tight to the stem and fragrant white flowers through spring. Planted 1m apart it closes into a dense hedge and then asks very little of you.

Why you'll love it

• Built for the coast. Salt laden wind, sandy soil and open exposure do not mark it, so it works on a front boundary where softer hedges burn.
• Fragrant spring flowers. White flowers cover the plant in spring and draw bees and butterflies, then set dark berries the birds take.
• Naturally neat. Growth is slow and tight rather than loose and leggy, so the hedge keeps its line between trims.
• Wide climate range. Frost hardy in cool gardens, and equally at home in subtropical and Mediterranean conditions.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 1m apart in a single row. Left to grow it makes a 2.5m screen; trimmed twice a year it sits neatly at 1.2m to 1.5m as a low formal hedge.

Coastal gardens. It will take front line positions behind a dune or on an exposed headland block, filtering wind rather than shredding in it.

Mass planting and borders. At 1m centres across a slope or a wide bed it reads as one low mound of foliage, and it suppresses weeds once the canopies meet.

Growing umbellata rhaphiolepis in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest growth and the heaviest flowering, though it accepts light shade. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy. In humid subtropical gardens leave air moving between plants rather than crowding them.

Soil. Drainage is the one real requirement. Sandy and poor soils are fine; on heavy clay plant on a raised mound and improve the whole bed rather than a single hole. Mulch 75mm deep, kept off the stems.

Water and feed. Deep water weekly through the first summer, after which it is genuinely drought tolerant. A controlled release fertiliser once in early spring, after flowering, is all the feeding it needs.

Pruning. Trim as soon as flowering finishes, which sets the next season's flower buds up rather than cutting them off. A light second trim in late summer holds a formal face, and old plants take a hard cut back and reshoot.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold in two hedging sizes: a pack of ten 140mm plants, which covers 10m of hedge at 1m spacing, and a pack of six 200mm plants, which covers 6m and starts taller. Both are young, single stemmed plants that branch out once tip pruned. Expect them to hold still for a few weeks, then push through the first warm season, with the hedge closing over about two to three years. Plants are delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with a 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Rhaphiolepis care guide
• Compare the best hedging plants
• Browse salt tolerant coastal plants
• Shrubs for mass planting

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Tighter spacing wastes plants and makes the row compete for water without closing the gap any sooner.

How low can I keep it?

Two trims a year hold it at 1.2m to 1.5m comfortably. Below about a metre you are fighting the plant, and a smaller shrub is a better fit.

Will it cope with salt spray?

Yes. It is salt and wind tolerant, which is why it turns up on so many coastal boundaries. Rinse the foliage occasionally after heavy salt blows if you want the leaves at their best.

Does it need much water once established?

Very little. After the first summer it is drought tolerant and copes with dry spells, though a deep soak during a long heatwave keeps the foliage from dulling.