Pittosporum tobira
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- pih-TOSS-pur-um toe-BYE-ruh
- Description
-
An attractive evergreen shrub that is dense, compact, broad-spreading, and up to 13' tall in the Pittosporaceae family. It is a tough durable shrub that can withstand severe pruning, is drought, heat and salt spray tolerant. It has showy fragrant blooms that smell like orange blossoms and appear in late spring (April-May). It makes an excellent specimen plant. its evergreen dense, sympodial growth makes a good screen, hedge, or barrier. This plant also does good in mass planting or planting in containers. Where it is not wintering hardy it grows well as a container plant that can be moved indoors when temperatures cool down. It can also be grown as a houseplant in well-lit areas of the home.
This plant is extensively utilized in Florida, but is a perfect plant for zone 8 and for sandy, coastal locations because of its tolerances. Will do well in full sun to heavy shade, it's heat and drought tolerant. This plant also does well in acidic to alkaline soils, but prefers well-drained soils. It is salt, clay, and sandy soil tolerant. It grows well in hardy zones 8-10, has a fast growth rate, and is easily transplanted. Fruit is in the fall, its non-edible fruit capsules ripen but are often hidden by the foliage and are non-ornamental. Once open at maturity showy red seeds are revealed. Leaf margins will curl inward if stressed. White, orange-scented blossoms turn yellowish upon pollination.
No serious insect or disease problems though aphids, scale, mealybugs, root-knot nematodes, and whiteflies may occur. Leaf spot, bacterial blight, and crown/root rot can also cause problems. This plant is frequently damaged by deer. Avoid wet or poorly-drained soils where root rot is more likely to develop. Its cultivar, 'Variegata', has grey-green leaves edged with white.
Quick ID Hints:
- Evergreen, obovate leaves with entire margins
- Dense, compact medium to large shrub with sympodial growth
- Fragrant, 5-petaled flowers in terminal umbels
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Collector’s Garden
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Cream de Mint'
- 'Mojo'
White-cream verigated leaves, compact habit, more cold hardy. - 'Variegata'
Cream-edged, vigorous to 6'. - 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
Compact form, wider, dense mound.
- 'Cream de Mint'
- 'Cream de Mint', 'Mojo', 'Variegata', 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
- Tags:








- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Cream de Mint'
- 'Mojo'
White-cream verigated leaves, compact habit, more cold hardy. - 'Variegata'
Cream-edged, vigorous to 6'. - 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
Compact form, wider, dense mound.
- 'Cream de Mint'
- 'Cream de Mint', 'Mojo', 'Variegata', 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
- Tags:
-
-
Attributes:
- Genus:
- Pittosporum
- Species:
- tobira
- Family:
- Pittosporaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China, Japan
- Play Value:
- Fragrance
- Dimensions:
- Height: 8 ft. 0 in. - 13 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Mounding
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 8a, 8b, 9b, 9a, 10b, 10a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Capsule
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Pear-shaped, three-valved capsule that is green in color and matures to brown.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Showy
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Size:
- 1-3 inches
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are creamy white and become dull yellowish with age. They are fragrant (orange-scented), 5-petaled, are 2-3" in size, and form in clusters on a terminal umbel that is 2-3" in size. Flowers bloom in late spring.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Variegated
- Leaf Feel:
- Leathery
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Obovate
- Obtuse
- Spatulate
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate, simple, coriaceous, crowded to twig apex, obovate to spatulate, obtuse, cuneate, margins entire and somewhat inrolled, glabrous, dark green, leathery, 1.5-4" long, and reticulate below.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stems have sympodial growth.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Container
- Houseplants
- Lawn
- Naturalized Area
- Patio
- Recreational Play Area
- Small Space
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Children's Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Barrier
- Flowering Tree
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Screen/Privacy
- Small groups
- Specimen
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Salt