How to grow pittosporum

Pittosporums are colourful evergreen shrubs that provide year-round structural interest.

Things to consider when choosing a Pittosporum

Size & shape

If allowed to grow without pruning, some pittosporums eventually form medium to large shrubs, 2–6m (6⅔–20ft) tall, while others form small to medium-sized shrubs of 1–2m (3⅓–6⅔ft) tall. Check the final height of the plant before buying, to make sure it is suitable for your chosen spot – or be prepared to trim it each year.

Pittosporum by size

Pittosporum by size

Hedging

Ranging from large to compact in size, they can be used as  hedging and can be clipped into simple shapes such as balls and domes.

Pittosporum for hedging

Pittosporum for hedging

Leaf type & colours

Their shiny leaves are often

Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white.

Pittosporum by leaf type

Pittosporum by leaf type

Hardiness

Many are hardy in a sunny spot, sheltered from strong winds. A few won’t reliably survive winter outdoors except in mild areas, coastal and inner-city locations – these are more often grown as conservatory plants, but they can still go outside from May to September.

Pittosporum for conservatories

Pittosporum for conservatories

These include P. crassifolium ‘Variegatum’, P. eugenioides ‘Variegatum’, P. tobira and P. tobira ‘Nanum’.

Flowers and berries

Most pittosporums flower between late spring and early summer. The flowers are generally small, usually scented, and range from purple to cream and yellow. A few produce more showy, highly scented flowers, including Pittosporum tobira, P. adaphniphylloides (syn. P. daphniphylloides) and P. heterophyllum.

How and what to buy

Pittosporums are available all year round from garden centres and mail-order suppliers, especially shrub and hedging specialists, such as Coastal Hedging. They are usually sold in containers, but are sometimes also available rootballed (where the plant has been dug up and its roots wrapped in fabric and wire mesh).

There are 9 Pittosporum species and cultivars with an RHS Award of Garden Merit, so are reliable choices. For more details on many of these, and other cultivars available it’s also worth viewing the Plant Bulletin on Pittosporum tenuifolium.

To browse photos and descriptions of pittosporums, go to RHS Find a Plant. You can search by ultimate size, flowering time, growing conditions, RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) and more, to help narrow down your choices.

When to plant

• Although container-grown pittosporums can be planted at any time of year, autumn and spring are the best times to plant. They will settle in quickly when the soil is moist and warm, and the weather not too hot and drying
• If you buy a container-grown pittosporums in summer, plant it as soon as possible and water regularly to keep the soil damp, but not soggy, while it settles in
• You can plant in winter, as long as the ground isn’t
  Describes soil or potting compost that is saturated with water. The water displaces air from the spaces between soil particles and plant roots can literally drown, unless they are adapted to growing in waterlogged conditions. Waterlogging is common on poorly drained soil or when heavy soil is compacted. 

  waterlogged or frozen
• Rootballed pittosporums are best planted between autumn and early spring

Where to plant

• Pittosporums like full sun or light shade
• Ensure plants are sheltered from prevailing cold winds, and avoid frost pockets
• In milder regions of the UK (such as on the south and east coasts, and in inner cities) and in particularly warm, sheltered gardens, you can risk planting more tender species. Still, choose a warm spot, such as close to a sunny wall, or provide winter protection
• Variegated cultivars are best planted in a sunny site, so that the leaf colour develops well
• Most well-drained soil types are suitable
• Naturally compact cultivars are suitable for containers

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How to plant

Although pittosporums are tolerant of a range of soil types, it is best to prepare the general planting area by digging in plenty of organic matter, such as garden compost or well-rotted manure, prior to planting. This will help to retain moisture in the soil but improve drainage.

Pittosporum are very straightforward to plant – see our guides below.

Hedges

Pittosporums make attractive, dense hedges and are easy to plant – see our guide below for full details.

In containers

The smaller pittosporum cultivars are suitable for growing in containers: 

• Choose a container that is only slightly larger than the original container – about 2.5–5cm (1–2in) larger than the
  The roots and accompanying soil when a plant is removed from a container or lifted from the ground.

  rootball all the way round
• Use a peat-free
  Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own.

  compost with added John Innes, or a 50:50 mix of John Innes No. 3 and peat-free multipurpose compost
• After two to three years, the roots will fill the container and the plant should be re-potted into a slightly larger container in spring

Watering

• For the first couple of years after planting, water pittosporums during dry spells in spring and summer, while their roots are establishing in the soil
• Once established, they are fairly drought tolerant and shouldn’t need watering. However, if they are in soil that dries out quickly or in a very hot spot, they may need some water in dry spells in summer to prevent premature leaf drop and support healthy growth
• Large specimens take longer to get fully established, so may need watering for up to five years after planting, depending on how dry the site is

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Feeding

• Pittosporums in borders generally need little or no regular feeding
• However, if your soil is poor or the shrub is struggling to grow, feed in spring with a general fertiliser such as Vitax Q4, Growmore or fish, blood and bone, according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• Frost-damaged plants will benefit from feeding in March, to encourage new growth

Mulching

• Spread a 5–7.5cm (2–3in) layer of organic matter, such as home-made garden compost or well-rotted manure, around the plant to help hold moisture in the soil
• Leave a small mulch-free circle around the base of the pant’s stem to prevent it rotting​

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Winter protection

Most pittosporums are hardy, especially in milder parts of the UK.

However, the less hardy cultivars, such as Pittosporum adaphniphylloides, P. tobira and P. tobira ‘Nanum’, usually need winter protection:

• Those in containers can be moved into an unheated greenhouse, porch or cool conservatory
• If you don’t have anywhere under cover, place the container in a warm, sheltered spot, such as beside a south-facing wall, and cover with fleece during cold nights
• Plants in borders should be wrapped in
  A soft, fibrous, translucent material laid over or around plants hastening their growth and protecting them against weather and pests. Heavier grades of fleece give about 2°C of protection from frost. It is usually used without supporting hoops.

  fleece whenever hard frost is forecast

Stand-alone shrubs

• Prune in mid-spring
• The aim is to help the plant develop a strong central stem and to enhance the natural shape. To do this, prune out vigorous shoots that sprout out from the outline of the foliage
• It’s also worthwhile trimming off any winter-damaged shoot tips in mid-spring to improve the plant’s appearance

Hedges and clipped shapes

• These are best pruned from mid-spring to late summer
• Pittosporums form loose hedges and clipped shapes. To ensure even foliage coverage, trim two to three times during the growing season. The last cut should be in late summer (August)

Renovating overgrown shrubs

• Pittosporums generally respond well to hard pruning in spring (late March to early April), if you don’t prune into the older wood. But they can be slow to regrow and the regrowth may be patchy
• Spread the pruning over two to three years for the best results. Reduce the growth by up to a third each year
• After pruning, encourage new growth by applying a general fertiliser, as Vitax Q4, Growmore or fish, blood and bone, around the shrub base, according to the manufacturer’s instructions

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By layering

The easiest way to propagate is to ‘layer’ young shoots growing close to the ground in spring.

By taking cuttings

Cuttings can be tricky to root, but the best method is to take

Semi ripe cuttings are taken from summer to mid-autumn (Jul-Sep) from healthy stems grown this season. The base of the cutting is firm, while the tip is still soft. Use for climbers, herbs, evergreen shrubs, conifers and hedging plants.

A method of growing new plants from parts of an existing plant, such as sections of root, stem, leaf or bud. When prepared correctly and planted in the right conditions, they can produce roots and eventually become independent plants. There is a wide range of different methods for taking cuttings, depending on the plant and time of year.

Cuttings

By sowing seeds

• Collect the sticky seeds when the capsules split open
• Clean away the sticky covering with soap
• Sow the seeds in pots or trays of
  Seed compost is a free-draining compost formulated for germinating seed. It often contains a mix of fine materials including sterilised loam, coir, coarse sand or grit. It contains low levels of nutrients, as high levels could damage seedlings.

  seed compost and keep at 12–15°C (54–59˚F)
• Germination will be slow – around two months or more – so be patient
• The resulting plants may not be exactly like the parents, particularly with
  Variegated means having leaves or other plant parts with streaks, blotches or patches of different colours. Typically, these would be a combination of two colours, such as green and gold or green and white.

  variegated and coloured-leaved cultivars

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Pittosporums are generally trouble free, but look out for:

• Powdery mildew, which may occasionally affect the leaves, but doesn’t generally need controlling
• Red spider mites and scale insects, which can infest plants in a greenhouse or cool conservatory
• Leaf drop – pittosporums have a tendency to lose older leaves inside the canopy where they don’t receive light, which is normal. However, if lots of leaves drop within a few weeks, this may be due to poor growing conditions, including frost damage and
  Describes soil or potting compost that is saturated with water. The water displaces air from the spaces between soil particles and plant roots can literally drown, unless they are adapted to growing in waterlogged conditions. Waterlogging is common on poorly drained soil or when heavy soil is compacted. 

  waterlogged soil. Consider improving drainage, moving plants to a better position, and reducing watering of plants in containers. Long dry spells, which can particularly affect containerised plants, can also cause leaf drop

If you’re a member of the RHS, you can use our online Gardening Advice Service, via MyRHS, for any gardening problems or queries

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