Pittosporum tobira

 

  Tobira or Mock Orange

  Family: Pittosporaceae

  Origin: Native to Japan and China

Hardiness: Hardy to 10 degrees
Growth: Moderate rate of growth to 10 feet with equal spread
Form: Mounded form

 

  Leaves are dark green, leathery and glossy;
  curved downward and round at the ends

 

  Clusters of small cream colored flowers;
  blooms in the spring; very fragrant

Seeds: Seed capsules open in the winter; sticky orange seeds
Exposure: Does well in sun or shade
Water: Water deeply once a month in the summer
Soil: Does well in any soil
Fertilizer: Fertilize in spring or fall with a complete fertilizer
Prune: Easily controlled by heading back and selective thinning
Problems: Watch for scale insects

'Wheeler's Dwarf' is a dense shrub about 2 feet high. 'Variegata', with lighter green leaves and white edges, is shown in the photograph at the top of the page. To control size, this shrub is often pruned into a dense mound by pruning with hedge shears. Don't prune too frequently, or it will fail to flower. Shearing too often reduces the size of the leaves and destroys their character.

© 1998 by Jim Clatfelter.         Go to Garden California Home Page

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