Pittosporum tobira

Description

This mock orange, as its commonly known  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. This tough, durable shrub withstands severe pruning, and drought, heat, and salt spray tolerant making it ideal for sandy coastal locations.

The showy fragrant blooms smell like sweet orange blossoms, hence its name,  and appear in late spring (April-May) starting out white and turning yellow when pollinated. Fruit’s form in Autumn, its non-edible fruit are pretty insignificant until it is in its maturity when  showy red seeds are revealed. Leaf margins will curl inward if stressed.

It makes an excellent specimen plant providing some structure and dense evergreen colour to the landscape. Mass plant it as a screen, hedge