Pittosporum tobira

Pittosporum tobira is 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 bloosoms and appear in late spring (April-May).   It makes an excellent specimen plant.  Where it is not winter 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.

 Seasons of Interest:

      Foliage: Winter, evergreen    Bloom: Spring, April-May

Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious insect or disease problems though aphids, scale, mealybugs, root-knot nematodes, and whiteflies may occur. Lleaf 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.