Pittosporum tobira
Encyclopedia
Pittosporum tobira is a species of flowering plant in the Pittosporum family
known by several common names, including Japanese Pittosporum,Japanese mock-orange and Japanese cheesewood. It is native to Japan
but it is used throughout the world as an ornamental plant
in landscaping and as cut foliage
. It is a shrub
which can reach several metres tall and become treelike. It can also be trimmed into a hedge
. The leaves are oval in shape with edges that curl under and measure up to 10 cm in length. They are leathery, hairless, and darker and shinier on the upper surfaces. The inflorescence
is a cluster of fragrant flowers occurring at the ends of branches. The flower has five white petals each about a centimetre long. The fruit is a hairy, woody capsule about 1 cm wide divided into three valves. Inside are black seeds in a bed of resinous pulp.
This shrub is a common, drought-tolerant and fairly hardy landscaping plant. Many cultivars have been developed, including dwarf forms and the popular 'Variegata', which has variegated
leaves. It is used for hedges, living privacy screens, and indoor and outdoor planter boxes
. The stems, leaves, and dried fruits are used in flower arrangements
.
Common pests of this plant include various aphid
s, mite
s, and leafhopper
s, the cotton cushiony scale
(Icerya purchasi), and root-knot nematode
s (Meloidogyne spp.). It can be attacked by the pit-making pittosporum scale (Planchonia arabidis). It is vulnerable to the fungal plant pathogen Erythricium salmonicolor
, which causes gall
s and the dieback disease known as pink limb blight.
Pittosporaceae
Pittosporaceae is a family of flowering plants. The family includes approximately 200 species of trees, shrubs, and lianas in 9-10 genera. The species of Pittosporaceae range from tropical to temperate climates of the Afrotropic, Indomalaya, Oceania, and Australasia ecozones.-Genera:* Auranticarpa...
known by several common names, including Japanese Pittosporum,Japanese mock-orange and Japanese cheesewood. It is native to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
but it is used throughout the world as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in landscaping and as cut foliage
Floriculture
Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
. It is a shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
which can reach several metres tall and become treelike. It can also be trimmed into a hedge
Hedge
Hedge may refer to:* Hedge or hedgerow, line of closely spaced shrubs planted to act as a barrier* Hedge , investment made to limit loss* Hedge , intentionally non-committal or ambiguous sentence fragments-See also:...
. The leaves are oval in shape with edges that curl under and measure up to 10 cm in length. They are leathery, hairless, and darker and shinier on the upper surfaces. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a cluster of fragrant flowers occurring at the ends of branches. The flower has five white petals each about a centimetre long. The fruit is a hairy, woody capsule about 1 cm wide divided into three valves. Inside are black seeds in a bed of resinous pulp.
This shrub is a common, drought-tolerant and fairly hardy landscaping plant. Many cultivars have been developed, including dwarf forms and the popular 'Variegata', which has variegated
Variegation
Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves, and sometimes the stems, of plants. This may be due to a number of causes...
leaves. It is used for hedges, living privacy screens, and indoor and outdoor planter boxes
Houseplant
A houseplant is a plant that is grown indoors in places such as residences and offices. Houseplants are commonly grown for decorative purposes, positive psychological effects, or health reasons such as indoor air purification...
. The stems, leaves, and dried fruits are used in flower arrangements
Floristry
Floristry is the general term used to describe production, commerce and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design or flower arranging, merchandising, and display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related supplies to professionals in the trade...
.
Common pests of this plant include various aphid
Aphid
Aphids, also known as plant lice and in Britain and the Commonwealth as greenflies, blackflies or whiteflies, are small sap sucking insects, and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Aphids are among the most destructive insect pests on cultivated plants in temperate regions...
s, mite
Mite
Mites, along with ticks, are small arthropods belonging to the subclass Acari and the class Arachnida. The scientific discipline devoted to the study of ticks and mites is called acarology.-Diversity and systematics:...
s, and leafhopper
Leafhopper
Leafhopper is a common name applied to any species from the family Cicadellidae. Leafhoppers, colloquially known as hoppers, are minute plant-feeding insects in the superfamily Membracoidea in the order Hemiptera...
s, the cotton cushiony scale
Icerya purchasi
Icerya purchasi is a scale insect that feeds on several species of woody plants, most notably on Citrus and Pittosporum. Originally identified in 1878 as a New Zealand located pest of kangaroo acacia, it is now found worldwide where citrus crops are grown.-Life cycle:This scale infests twigs and...
(Icerya purchasi), and root-knot nematode
Root-knot nematode
Root-knot nematodes are plant-parasitic nematodes from the genus Meloidogyne. They exist in soil in areas with hot climates or short winters. About 2000 plants are susceptible to infection by root-knot nematodes and they cause approximately 5% of global crop loss...
s (Meloidogyne spp.). It can be attacked by the pit-making pittosporum scale (Planchonia arabidis). It is vulnerable to the fungal plant pathogen Erythricium salmonicolor
Phanerochaete salmonicolor
Phanerochaete salmonicolor is a plant pathogen.- External links :* *...
, which causes gall
Gall
Galls or cecidia are outgrowths on the surface of lifeforms caused by invasion by other lifeforms, such as parasites or bacterial infection. Plant galls are abnormal outgrowths of plant tissues and can be caused by various parasites, from fungi and bacteria, to insects and mites...
s and the dieback disease known as pink limb blight.