Japanese Dwarf Pittosporum

Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum' is a dwarf form of the regular Pittosporum tobira. A slow-growing, evergreen shrub with a dense, compact, rounded habit, which makes it suitable for small gardens and also growing in pots. The rather long, elliptical leaves are deep green. In late spring and early summer, the shrub carries creamy-white, honey-scented flowers which soon turn yellow, sometimes followed by reddish berries in autumn. Japanese pittosporum is a low maintenance shrub needing minimal pruning, drought-resistant once established, but it is not for colder areas. It can be grown under glass in soil-based compost in full light. A borderline hardy pittosporum for mild areas. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: Any well-drained soil
Position: Best in full sun
Season of interest: All year; late spring to early summer in particular
Hardiness: Borderline hardy (to -5ºC)
Height: 2-3’ (.6-1m) Spread: 2-3’ (.6-1m) in 10-20 years

Photos by Kenpei, Σ64, and Jean-Pol Grandmont, cropped, and licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 and 4.0.