Indian hawthorn is generally a very tough plant with few problems. It is drought tolerant but decidedly less tolerant of wet conditions.

Generally, established Indian hawthorn should not be watered any more than once a week in hot, dry weather and much less often during the winter. You may want to dig down into the soil in a few areas around the plants to see if the soil is waterlogged. Indian hawthorn growing in wet conditions often has sparse foliage with many red leaves and may have more fungal leaf spot disease problems. When you dig into the soil, also take a look at the roots. Healthy roots will be firm and fleshy while roots suffering from root rot diseases, which are encouraged by wet conditions, will be dark and mushy.

A heavy infestation of scale insects could also result in the plants declining. Scales can be found on leaves and/or branches and are usually visible with the naked eye. They are somewhat seed- like in appearance. More information on scale insects can be found here: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/mg005

If possible, you may want to lift one of the declining plants (including the roots) and bring it in to our Lawn and Garden Help Desk for examination by one of our horticulturists or Master Gardener volunteers. There is no charge for this service. The Help Desk is open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday.

You could also send a sample to the University of Florida’s Plant Disease Clinic for diagnosis of a possible disease problem.

More information about that service, including fees and the sample submission form, can be found here: http://plantpath.ifas.ufl.edu/pdc/submission_forms/PDC_in_state_submission_form.pdf