Pittosporum tenuifolium Flower (05/05/2012, Kew, London)
Position: Full sun to partial shade. Requires a sheltered position.
Flowering period: Late spring
Soil: Moist, well drained
Eventual Height: 10m
Eventual Spread: 4m
Hardiness: 8b – 10b
Family: Pittosporaceae
Pittosporum tenuifolium is a small evergreen tree. Its glossy, leathery green leaves are elliptic with entire wavy margins and are spirally arranged or whorled. Its bark is dark gray to black in color. Its purple, fragrant, hermaphrodite flowers are bell shaped, produced singly or in umbels or corymbs, each flower has five sepals and five petals. Its fruit is a woody seed capsule, which bursts on ripening to release the numerous seeds.
Pittosporum tenuifolium, commonly known by the Maori names Kohuhu, Kohukohu, or Black Matipo is native to New Zealand. In its native habitat it grows wild in the coastal and lower mountain forests of both the North and South islands up to an altitude of 900m.
The etymological root of the binomial name Pittosporum is derived from the Greek pitte meaning ‘tar’ and sporos meaning ‘seed’, describing the sticky seed capsules. Tenuifolium is derived from the Latin meaning ‘thinly leaved’.
Pittosporum tenuifolium (05/05/2012, Kew, London)
The landscape architect may find Pittosporum tenuifolium useful as an evergreen small tree with sweetly scented flowers. It is also useful as a evergreen hedge. It is drought tolerant once established.
Ecologically, P. tenuifolium is attractive to pollinating insects.
The Royal Horticultural Society has given P. tenuifolium their prestigious Award of Garden Merit in 1993.
P. tenuifolium prefers moist, fertile, well-drained soils. It tolerates most pH of soil.
Pittosporum tenuifolium requires little maintenance. Hedge pruning or the removal of damaged branches should be carried out in mid spring.
