Shrub · Pittosporaceae
Japanese Pittosporum
Pittosporum tobira
A forgiving evergreen shrub that shrugs off sun, shade, drought, and hard shearing and still smells like orange blossom come spring.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 8–10
8–13 ft · 2.4–4 m
Overview
If you are just starting out, Japanese pittosporum is a wonderful shrub to build your confidence on. It grows quickly into a dense, rounded evergreen of glossy leathery leaves, and by late spring it is dressed in small creamy flowers that give off a warm orange-blossom scent. That very scent is why so many people call it mock orange, even though it has nothing to do with the true mock orange.
The reason gardeners fall for it is how little it asks of you. Once it has settled in it takes drought, heat, and salt spray in its stride, grows happily in full sun or deep shade, and hardly minds the soil as long as water drains away freely. Shear it into a crisp hedge, let it mound naturally, or coax it up into a small tree, and it will go along with whatever you choose.
Given the freedom it will grow large, reaching toward 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 m) with an even broader spread, which makes it a lovely screen or gentle backdrop. If you would rather keep things low, the dwarf forms are perfect for borders and foundations. The single thing to watch is wet feet, because soggy roots are what trip up more pittosporum than anything else, and that is easy to avoid.
Care
The short version: it is happy anywhere from full sun to shade, likes a deep drink now and then rather than constant watering once established, and thrives in any soil that drains well; give it a friendly shear after flowering and keep its roots out of soggy ground, and it will look after itself.
Light
You can relax about light, since pittosporum takes anything from full sun to full shade. It flowers most freely and grows its densest in the sun, yet it still holds up beautifully in a shady corner where plenty of other shrubs would thin out.
Water
Give it a deep drink and then let things dry out, watering deeply but infrequently so the top half of the soil dries between waterings. Once established the shrub is truly drought tolerant, and the real risk actually runs the other way: soggy, poorly drained soil brings on fatal root rot fast, so leaning dry is the safer habit.
Soil
Almost any well-drained soil will make it happy, whether that is clay, sand, or loam, right across a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. The one thing to get right is drainage, because standing water is the main thing that undoes this otherwise easy plant.
Temperature
It copes with a generous range, from about 10°F to 100°F (-12°C to 38°C), which is why it stays evergreen through mild winters and takes summer heat in its stride.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity suits it just fine and there is no target number to chase. What matters more is good airflow, since crowded, damp foliage is what invites leaf spot and sooty mold, and a little breathing room prevents most of it.
Feeding
Feed once in spring with a balanced general-purpose shrub fertilizer and it will be well fed for the season. On high-pH soils keep a friendly eye out for micronutrient shortfalls such as magnesium, and correct them if the leaves begin to yellow between the veins.
Pruning
The trick with pruning is timing: trim right after the spring flowers fade, because next year's blooms set on old growth and a late cut takes them off. Happily the plant handles hard shearing without any fuss, so you can hold it as a tight hedge or train it into a small tree with confidence.
Repotting
A container plant appreciates a fresh, roomier pot every 2 to 3 years. Repot when roots begin circling the surface or peeking through the drainage holes, or when water rushes straight through and growth quietly stalls.
Size & spacing
Left to its own devices it reaches 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 m) tall with a spread of 4 to 18 feet (1.2 to 5.5 m), so give it plenty of elbow room as a screen or hedge. If space is tight, the dwarf cultivars stay much smaller and fit in comfortably.
When to plant
Pittosporum is an evergreen for gardens on the milder side, comfortable roughly in zones 8 to 10. Pop new plants in during spring or fall while the weather is kind, and look forward to those scented flowers in late spring, around April and May.
Northern hemisphere
Southern hemisphere
Typical months for a temperate climate: start earlier in warm zones, later where spring frosts linger.
- Plant: spring or fall in mild climates
- Harvest: late spring (April-May)
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones: 8–10
Temperature: down to -12°C
Troubleshooting
Pittosporum is a tough and easygoing shrub, so when something does go wrong it usually comes down to pests leaving sticky honeydew or roots sitting too long in water. Read the early signs below, match them to what you are seeing, and step in gently before a small worry has a chance to grow.
The whole shrub drooping and yellowing even though you water it
When a pittosporum yellows and wilts and seems to give up all at once, the trouble is almost always root rot from soil that never gets a chance to dry. The one thing this easy plant cannot forgive is wet feet, and once the roots go dark and soft they seldom recover. Ease off the water, sort out the drainage, and gently remove any plant that is truly past saving so the rest can carry on.
Fix:
- Improve drainage and stop overwatering immediately
- Remove and discard severely affected plants, as root rot is often lethal
- Replant healthy stock in a well-drained site where water does not accumulate
A dark, sticky film settling over the leaves
Take heart, because that black coating is only sooty mold and the plant itself is not sick. Small feeders like aphids, cottony cushion scale, or mealybugs are sitting higher up and dribbling sweet honeydew, and the mold simply grows on it. A thorough coat of horticultural oil smothers the insects, and once they are gone the dark film rinses away and your shrub comes back to itself.
Fix:
- Spray plants thoroughly with horticultural oil to smother scale, mealybugs, and aphids
- Repeat applications as directed and wash off sooty mold once pests are controlled
- Hose off light aphid populations with a strong stream of water
Little spots and blotches dotting the foliage
Scattered marks on the leaves usually mean a fungal or bacterial leaf spot, and it tends to show up when the foliage stays damp and packed together. You can turn this around by opening the plant up so air moves through, watering low at the base rather than over the top, and picking off the most marked leaves. It looks worse than it is, since the shrub stays perfectly healthy underneath.
Fix:
- Improve air circulation by thinning and proper spacing
- Avoid overhead watering and keep foliage dry
- Remove and dispose of badly spotted leaves
Toxicity
Pittosporum is not among the seriously poisonous plants, so there is no cause for alarm, though it is not a snack either. The leaves, stems, and seeds hold saponins that irritate the gut, so a pet that chews on them may end up drooling and a little queasy. Nothing on the plant is grown to be eaten, so it is worth keeping it away from curious mouths.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
If a cat nibbles the leaves it may drool, be sick, or lose interest in food for a little while. The saponins are behind it, and the good news is the upset tends to pass on its own once the plant is moved somewhere the cat cannot reach.
Dogs Mild
A dog that chews the foliage or seed pods often drools and gets a queasy stomach. It rarely becomes anything serious, though a big mouthful can lead to a rough day of being sick.
Horses Caution
A horse is not likely to go looking for it, but those same saponins can unsettle the gut if a bored animal starts browsing the shrub. Keeping it clear of paddocks is the safe and simple choice.
Rabbits Caution
This is not something rabbits should graze. The saponin-rich leaves can leave a rabbit with a sore stomach, so it is kindest to keep it off their menu entirely.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep usually walk right past it, yet a hungry animal stripping the leaves could pick up the same digestive irritation. A simple fence between them and the shrub settles the matter.
Birds Caution
Wild birds happily eat the sticky seeds with no trouble at all, but the saponins make the foliage a poor pick for pet birds, so there is no need to offer it.
People Caution
Nothing on this plant is grown for the table, and the saponins can leave you feeling queasy if leaves or seeds are swallowed. A gentle watch over small children keeps any part of it out of little mouths.
No part of the plant is meant to be eaten; the saponins make even a curious nibble unpleasant, though it is not life-threatening in small amounts.
Helpline numbers
United States
ASPCA Animal Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 (fee applies)
Poison Control: (800) 222-1222
Canada
Poison Centres: 1-844-764-7669
Varieties
A handful of named forms turn up far more often than the plain species, mostly variegated leaves and neat dwarfs. These are the ones worth getting to know first.
Variegata
Its gray-green leaves are edged with an uneven creamy-white border that lifts the whole plant and reads noticeably brighter than the plain species.
Wheeler's Dwarf
A neat mounding dwarf that settles at about 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm), asks for almost no pruning, and slips easily into low borders and foundation beds.
Cream de Mint
A compact little cultivar whose tidy mint-green leaves are rimmed with soft creamy white.
How to propagate
Pittosporum is a joy to multiply, and most gardeners reach happily for cuttings because they root willingly and keep a cultivar true.
Stem cuttingsEasy
Mid-July to September · Several weeks to a few months to root
The friendliest way to make more pittosporum is by cuttings, and it is very forgiving. Take semi-hardwood cuttings any time from mid-July through September, dip the ends in rooting hormone, and settle them into a 50/50 blend of peat and perlite kept nicely humid. It roots willingly, so give it several weeks to a few months to take hold and be patient with the wait.
SeedModerate
When ripe seed is available · Slow; weeks to germinate and longer to reach planting size
You can also raise the species from seed whenever ripe seed comes your way. It is the slower path, taking weeks to germinate and longer still to reach planting size, and seedlings will not keep a named cultivar true the way cuttings faithfully do.
Myths
Japanese pittosporum is the same plant as true mock orange.
All the two really share is a nickname, so there is no need to mix them up. Pittosporum tobira picked up the name mock orange because its flowers smell like orange blossom, yet it sits in the family Pittosporaceae and has no relation to the true mock orange, Philadelphus. They are simply two different shrubs from two different families that happen to bloom with a similar sweet scent.