Pittosporum tobira

An attractive evergreen shrub in the Pittosporaceae family.  It is a tough durable shrub that can withstand severe pruning, is drought, heat and salt spray tolerant.  'Variegata' is a slightly smaller shrub with creamy white leaf edges.  It has showy fragrant blooms that smell like orange blossoms and appear in late spring (April-May).   It makes an excellent specimen plant.  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.

A perfect plant for sandy, coastal locations.  Will do well in full sun or shade, it's heat and drought tolerant.  In the fall, its non-edible fruit capsules ripen but are often hidden by the foliage.  Once open at maturity showy red seeds are revealed.  

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.