Mockorange Pittosporum tobira
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Mockorange:
- Phonetic Spelling
- pih-TOSS-pur-um toe-BYE-ruh
- Description
-
Mock orange is an attractive fast growing evergreen shrub in the Pittosporaceae family. The canopy is dense, compact to broad-spreading, and can reach heights of up to 13 feet tall.
Plant in full sun to heavy shade, wide range of pH, but prefers well-drained soils. It grows well in hardy zones 8-10 and is easily transplanted. This tough, durable shrub that withstands severe pruning, but when pruning, keep in mind that next season's blossoms will appear on old growth. This hardy plant also tolerates drought, heat, and salt spray making it ideal for sandy coastal locations.
The showy fragrant blooms smell like sweet orange blossoms and appear in late spring (April-May) starting out white and turning yellow upon pollination. 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.
It makes an excellent specimen plant providing some structure and dense evergreen color to the landscape. Mass plant it as a screen, hedge, or barrier. This plant can also be grown in containers on a patio and this is especially helpful in areas it is not winter hardy so it can be brought inside during the cold winter months. Grown it as a houseplant in well-lit areas of the home.
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
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: 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.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Collector’s Garden
- 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:
- 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.
-
-
Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Erect
- Mounding
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Low
- Texture:
- Medium
-
-
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, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
-
-
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.
-
-
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.
-
-
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.
-
-
Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Description:
- Stems have sympodial growth.
-
-
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