These evergreen shrubs come in a multitude of sizes and shapes with shiny, often variegated or colourful leaves and small scented flowers
WORDS MATTHEW POTTAGE PHOTOGRAPHS GAP PHOTOS AND JASON INGRAM
Old gardening books often talk about Pittosporum as a glasshouse plant, and while a cold winter can cause damage to this genus, the changing climate has enabled these prized evergreens to become staples of our gardens. There are at least 52 cultivars of Pittosporum tenuifolium alone, so it is perhaps no surprise that it is the largest group within the genus in cultivation. A New Zealand native, Pittosporum tenuifolium goes by the Māori common name of Kohuhu, and its cultivars display habits of varying shapes and sizes, as well as leaf colours and textures, making it a treasure trove, completely irresistible for those with a soft spot for foliage.
Couple this diversity with their quick-growing vigour, the fact they’re easy to propagate from cuttings and a general easy-going habit with a tolerance of clipping, and it is easy to see why it is a plant that appears frequently in gardens. For the haters of coloured foliage, the genus offers a perfect alternative for the purist: Pittosporum tobira, which has large, glossy, dark-green leaves, and a compact form that makes a respectable little mound. However, they are not the hardiest of souls, and to that end have become regulars in city and coastal gardens. One attribute of Pittosporum tobira that everyone can get excited about is the incredibly scented flowers. If blindfolded, I could not tell the scent of Pittosporum tobira apart from orange blossom. It is simply divine.
Conceivably the ‘poster boy’ of the genus is the ever-popular Pittosporum tenufolium ‘Tom Thumb’, which is perhaps becoming too ubiquitous. However, when asked to think of evergreen purple-leaved plants, the list is a painfully short one, and the tidy, bushy, habit of this cultivar, with its juvenile green leaves bringing a cheerful contrast, makes it a very popular choice. I love it.
Growing up gardening on the Yorkshire coast, I was hugely reliant on the genus. Any plant with New Zealand native genes tends to relish a coastal climate, actively enjoying cooler summers, wetter, milder winters and never flinching with as much wind as Mother
