Shrub · Pittosporaceae
Japanese Pittosporum
Pittosporum tobira
An evergreen shrub that takes sun, shade, drought, and hard shearing and still smells like orange blossom in spring.
Full sun
Every 7–14 days
USDA 8–10
8–13 ft · 2.4–4 m
Overview
Japanese pittosporum is the dependable workhorse of mild-climate gardens. It grows fast into a dense, rounded evergreen shrub of glossy leathery leaves, and in late spring it covers itself in small creamy flowers that carry a strong orange-blossom scent. The smell is why people call it mock orange, though it has nothing to do with the true mock orange.
What sells most gardeners on it is how little it asks. It shrugs off drought, heat, and salt spray once it's settled in, takes full sun or deep shade, and barely cares about soil as long as the water drains away. Shear it into a tight hedge, let it mound on its own, or train it up into a small tree.
It runs large if you let it, climbing toward 8 to 13 feet (2.4 to 4 m) with an even wider spread, so it earns its keep as a screen or a backdrop. Dwarf forms keep things low for borders and foundations. The one line it won't cross is wet feet, which is what kills more pittosporum than anything else.
Care
The short version: full sun to shade, deep but infrequent watering once established, and any soil that drains well; give it a shear after it flowers and keep its roots out of soggy ground.
Light
Pittosporum is unfussy about light, taking anything from full sun to full shade. It flowers best and grows densest in sun, but it still holds up in a shady corner where many shrubs would thin out.
Water
Water deeply but infrequently, letting the top half of the soil dry between drinks. Once it's established the shrub is genuinely drought tolerant, and the real danger runs the other way: soggy, poorly drained soil brings on fatal root rot fast.
Soil
Almost any well-drained soil suits it, whether clay, sand, or loam, across a pH from 6.0 to 7.5. The only hard rule is drainage, since standing water is what kills this plant.
Temperature
It handles a wide range, from about 10°F to 100°F (-12°C to 38°C), which keeps it evergreen through mild winters and unbothered by summer heat.
Humidity
Ordinary outdoor humidity is fine and there's no number to chase. Good airflow matters more than moisture in the air, since crowded, damp foliage invites leaf spot and sooty mold.
Feeding
Feed once in spring with a balanced general-purpose shrub fertilizer. On high-pH soils watch for micronutrient shortfalls such as magnesium, and correct them if the leaves start to yellow between the veins.
Pruning
Prune right after the spring flowers fade, because next year's blooms form on old growth and a late cut removes them. The plant takes hard shearing without complaint, so you can hold it as a tight hedge or train it into a small tree.
Repotting
Container plants need a fresh, larger pot every 2 to 3 years. Repot when roots circle the surface or push through the drainage holes, or when water runs straight through and growth stalls.
Size & spacing
Left alone 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 real room as a screen or hedge. Dwarf cultivars stay far smaller for tight spots.
When to plant
Pittosporum is an evergreen for warmer gardens, hardy roughly in zones 8 to 10. Set new plants out in spring or fall while the weather is mild, and expect the 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 tough, and most of its troubles trace back to either pests dripping honeydew or roots sitting in water. Read the early signs below and match them to what you see, then step in before a small problem spreads.
Whole plant wilting and yellowing despite watering
When a pittosporum yellows, wilts, and slides downhill all at once, suspect root rot from soil that stays too wet. The plant cannot stand wet feet, and once the roots turn dark and soft there is rarely a way back. Cut off the watering, fix the drainage, and pull any plant that's too far gone.
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
Black sooty film over sticky leaves and stems
The black coating is sooty mold, but it's only a symptom. Aphids, cottony cushion scale, or mealybugs are feeding above and dripping honeydew that the mold grows on. Smother the insects with horticultural oil, and once they're gone the sooty film washes off.
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
Spots and blotches scattered across the leaves
Discrete spots on the foliage point to fungal or bacterial leaf spot, which takes hold when leaves stay damp and crowded. Open the plant up for better airflow, water at the base instead of over the top, and clear away the worst-marked leaves. It's a cosmetic problem, not a threat to the plant.
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 isn't on the list of seriously poisonous plants, but it isn't a snack either. The leaves, stems, and seeds hold saponins that irritate the gut, so a pet that chews them can end up drooling and queasy. No part is grown to be eaten, so keep it away from curious mouths.
Toxic to
Cats · Dogs · Horses · Rabbits · Livestock · Birds · People
Cats Mild
A cat that chews the leaves may drool, vomit, or go off its food for a while. The saponins are the cause, and the upset usually settles on its own once the plant is out of reach.
Dogs Mild
Dogs that gnaw the foliage or seed pods tend to drool and get an upset stomach. It rarely turns serious, but a big mouthful can mean a rough day of vomiting.
Horses Caution
Horses are unlikely to seek it out, yet the same saponins can unsettle the gut if a bored animal browses the shrub. Keep it out of reach of paddocks to be safe.
Rabbits Caution
This isn't rabbit forage. The saponin-bearing leaves can leave a rabbit with a sore stomach, so it's best kept off the menu.
Livestock Caution
Cattle, goats, and sheep generally leave it alone, but a hungry animal stripping the leaves could pick up the same digestive irritation. Fence it off from grazing land.
Birds Caution
Wild birds eat the sticky seeds without trouble, but the saponins make the foliage a poor choice for pet birds, so don't offer it.
People Caution
Nothing on the plant is grown to be eaten, and the saponins can leave you queasy if you swallow leaves or seeds. Keep small children from putting any part in their 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 few named forms turn up far more than the plain species, mostly variegated leaves and compact dwarfs. These are the ones worth knowing.
Variegata
Its gray-green leaves carry an uneven creamy-white edge that lifts the whole plant and reads brighter than the plain species.
Wheeler's Dwarf
A tidy mounding dwarf that holds at about 2 to 3 feet (60 to 90 cm), needs almost no pruning, and suits low borders and foundation plantings.
Cream de Mint
A dense little cultivar with neat mint-green leaves rimmed in creamy white.
How to propagate
Pittosporum is easy to multiply, and most gardeners reach 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
Cuttings are the easy way to make more pittosporum. Take semi-hardwood cuttings from mid-July through September, dip them in rooting hormone, and stand them in a 50/50 mix of peat and perlite under high humidity. The plant roots readily, though give it several weeks to a few months to take hold.
SeedModerate
When ripe seed is available · Slow; weeks to germinate and longer to reach planting size
You can also grow the species from seed once ripe seed is on hand. It's the slower road, taking weeks to germinate and longer still to reach planting size, and seedlings won't hold a named cultivar true the way cuttings do.
Myths
Japanese pittosporum is the same plant as true mock orange.
The two only share a nickname. Pittosporum tobira earned the name mock orange because its flowers smell like orange blossom, but it belongs to the family Pittosporaceae and has no relation to the true mock orange, Philadelphus. They are different shrubs from different families that happen to bloom with a similar scent.