Pittosporum Plants
Pittosporum is an evergreen shrub prized for year-round foliage interest in mild urban gardens. Pittosporum tenuifolium — the most widely grown pittosporum — offers cultivars in shades from silvery green and variegated cream-white to deep purple and near-black, all with characteristic dark stems, evergreen foliage and small shiny leaves that hold their colour reliably through winter. The small flowers of pittosporum tenuifolium carry a lovely honey scent in late spring, making pittosporum a shrub valued for fragrance as well as foliage. Boma stocks a rotating range of pittosporum tenuifolium cultivars in store — visit us to see the current selection of pittosporum plants.
About Our Pittosporum Collection
Boma's pittosporum plants cover the key Pittosporum tenuifolium cultivars for UK gardens. 'Tom Thumb' is the most compact tenuifolium — a neat, rounded pittosporum shrub growing to just 0.5m with deep purple-black leaves and dark stems, ideal for containers and small borders. 'Variegated' offers silvery green leaves with cream margins on dark stems; 'Irene Paterson' has cream-marbled foliage on dark stems. 'Golf Ball' forms a neat rounded pittosporum to 1.2m if untrimmed. 'Silver Queen' grows to 4m with silver-green variegated leaves and dark stems, excellent for tall hedging screens. All pittosporum tenuifolium cultivars produce small flowers with a lovely honey scent in spring on their characteristic dark stems.
Pittosporum tenuifolium is a moderately hardy evergreen shrub, tolerating temperatures to around -10°C in a sheltered spot. In full sun, pittosporum develops the best leaf colour — purple and bronze tenuifolium cultivars are deepest in a bright, open position; light shade and partial shade suit variegated pittosporum well. Plant pittosporum in well-drained soil or well-drained compost; pittosporum dislikes wet soil and heavy clay. Pittosporum tenuifolium tolerates alkaline soils well — a useful feature in London gardens. Slow growing and neat, pittosporum plants need minimal annual pruning to maintain their shape; prune pittosporum from mid spring to avoid cold-weather dieback. Water pittosporum during dry spells in spring and summer.
Pittosporum has outstanding versatility in the garden. As hedging, larger pittosporum tenuifolium cultivars including 'Silver Queen' provide dense, year-round green cover from 2–4m; pittosporum hedges can be clipped and trimmed into neat shapes and are commonly used for topiary. For borders and specimen planting, compact pittosporum varieties including 'Tom Thumb' and 'Golf Ball' deliver architectural foliage displays in purple, green, and variegated shades without requiring significant pruning. Pittosporum plants are susceptible to aphids and powdery mildew — common pests and diseases that are easily managed. Pittosporum is native to New Zealand and also thrives in coastal gardens due to its salt tolerance.