Pittosporum tenuifolium
tawhiwhi
- Position: full sun or partial shade
- Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil
- Rate of growth: average (initially fast)
- Flowering period: May to June
- Hardiness: frost hardy (may need winter protection)
A large, bushy shrub or small tree with whorls of lustrous, wavy-margined, mid-green leaves on dark-grey to black stems. This evergreen Pittosporum makes a handsome informal hedge for a sunny coastal garden, sheltered from cold, drying winds. Often producing clusters of tiny, bell-shaped, honey-scented, blackish-red flowers in May and June, the foliage provides excellent material for indoor flower arrangements.
When planting, add some well-rotted compost or manure and mycorrhizal fungi to the planting hole. Requires minimal pruning. To thin or reduce growth prune mid-spring and apply a generous 5-7 cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted garden compost or manure around the base of the plant.