Pittosporum tobira 'Cream de Mint'

Tobira, Japanese Mock Orange
Pittosporaceae
Evergreen, Shrubs

PITTOSPORUM

These plants are valued primarily for their foliage and form, though they also bear clusters of small, bell-shaped, often sweetly fragrant flowers followed by fairly conspicuous fruits the size of large peas. All are basic, dependable plants with pleasing outlines when allowed to branch naturally. Prune periodically to enhance form, thinning out weak branches and wayward shoots. Some make good clipped hedges. Excellent for screens,windbreaks. Susceptible to aphids and scale insects; sooty mold on leaves is a sign of infestation.Ripe fruits (usually orange) split open to reveal sticky seeds; fallen fruit can be a nuisance on lawns, paving.

Pittosporum tobira

From Japan. Dense, rounded growth 6–15 ft. (rarely to 30 ft.) tall and wide.You can remove lower limbs from an older plant to make a small tree, or you can hold plant to 6 ft. by careful heading back and thinning (doesn’t look good sheared).Whorls of leathery, narrowly elliptical, shiny dark green leaves to 5 in. long. Variegated forms also available. In early spring, creamy white flowers with fragrance of orange blossoms are borne at branch tips. Seldom flowers in Hawaii. Good for screen, tall hedge, multistemmed specimen of interesting, irregular form.Very tolerant of seacoast conditions.

'Cream de Mint'

Grows just 2–2 1/2 ft. high and wide and has mint green leaves with a creamy white border.