Pittosporum tenuifolium
Tawhiwhi

Uses

Toxic parts

This plant contains saponins^[1]^[2]. Saponins are found in many foods, such as some beans, and although they are fairly toxic to people they are poorly absorbed by the body and most pass straight through without any problem. They are also broken down if the food is thoroughly cooked for a long time. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish[K].

Edible uses

Notes

Gum - fragrant. It is obtained by bruising the bark or by incision^[3]^[4].

Unknown part

Gum

Material uses

Very tolerant of trimming, plants can be grown as a formal or informal hedge in exposed maritime areas, though they do not stand extreme exposure^[5]^[6]^[7]. When grown as a formal hedge it is best trimmed in spring, though this will mean that the plant will not produce many flowers^[8]. A compromise is to only trim the hedge every other year^[8].

There are no material uses listed for Pittosporum tenuifolium.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Pittosporum tenuifolium.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Hedge

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow when ripe in the autumn or in late winter in a warm greenhouse^[9]^[7]. The seed usually germinates freely. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle, move the plants to a cold frame as soon as they are established and plant out late in the following spring^[9]. Consider giving them some protection from the cold during their first winter outdoors.

Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 7cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Poor to fair percentage^[9].

Basal ripewood cuttings late autumn in a cold frame^[7].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Pittosporum tenuifolium. Help us fill in the blanks! Edit this page to add your knowledge.

Cultivation

Succeeds in most well-drained soils of reasonably good quality in full sun or light shade^[10]^[7]. Succeeds in dry soils. Fairly tolerant of maritime exposure^[6]^[11], but it can be killed by cold winds^[12].

Hardy to about -10°c^[12], it is tender outside the milder areas of Britain, but often self-sows when happy. Plants have reached a height of 9 metres in a sheltered position in eastern England^[5]. A very ornamental plant^[10], there are many named varieties^[7]. Very amenable to pruning, plants can be cut right back into old wood if required^[7]. The species in this genus are very likely to hybridize with other members of the genus^[7]. When growing a species from seed it is important to ensure that the seed either comes from a known wild source, or from isolated specimens in cultivation. Plants are widely cultivated for their foliage which lasts a long time in water and is used in flower arranging^[5]^[6]. The flowers are honey-scented^[13].

Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus^[7].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Pittosporum tenuifolium. Do you know of an interaction that should be listed here? edit this page to add it.

Polycultures & Guilds

There are no polycultures listed which include Pittosporum tenuifolium.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

References

? Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants. ()
? Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria. ()
? ^3.0^3.1 Laing. and Blackwell. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd (1907-00-00)
? ^4.0^4.1 Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton ISBN 0-340-508302 (1990-00-00)
? ^5.0^5.1^5.2^5.3^5.4 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)
? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3 Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1984-00-00)
? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3^7.4^7.5^7.6^7.7^7.8^7.9 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
? ^8.0^8.1^8.2 Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)
? ^9.0^9.1^9.2 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
? ^10.0^10.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)
? Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)
? ^12.0^12.1 Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30258-2 (1989-00-00)
? Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-86318-386-7 (1990-00-00)
? Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. (1961-00-00)

"image:Pittosporum tenuifolium RJB.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

[PFAFimport-152-1] ? Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants. ()

[PFAFimport-154-2] ? Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria. ()

[PFAFimport-128-3] ? ^3.0^3.1 Laing. and Blackwell. Plants of New Zealand. Whitcombe and Tombs Ltd (1907-00-00)

[PFAFimport-173-4] ? ^4.0^4.1 Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton ISBN 0-340-508302 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-11-5] ? ^5.0^5.1^5.2^5.3^5.4 Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray (1981-00-00)

[PFAFimport-75-6] ? ^6.0^6.1^6.2^6.3 Rosewarne experimental horticultural station. Shelter Trees and Hedges. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1984-00-00)

[PFAFimport-200-7] ? ^7.0^7.1^7.2^7.3^7.4^7.5^7.6^7.7^7.8^7.9 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-245-8] ? ^8.0^8.1^8.2 Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)

[PFAFimport-78-9] ? ^9.0^9.1^9.2 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)

[PFAFimport-1-10] ? ^10.0^10.1 F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press (1951-00-00)

[PFAFimport-182-11] ? Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)

[PFAFimport-184-12] ? ^12.0^12.1 Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30258-2 (1989-00-00)

[PFAFimport-188-13] ? Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. ISBN 0-86318-386-7 (1990-00-00)

[PFAFimport-44-14] ? Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. (1961-00-00)

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Article is incomplete	Yes +
Article requires citations	No +
Article requires cleanup	Yes +
Belongs to family	Pittosporaceae +
Belongs to genus	Pittosporum +
Functions as	Hedge +
Has binomial name	Pittosporum tenuifolium +
Has common name	Tawhiwhi +
Has drought tolerance	Intolerant +
Has edible part	Unknown part +
Has edible use	Gum +
Has environmental tolerance	Maritime exposure + and High wind +
Has fertility type	Insects +
Has flowers of type	Hermaphrodite +
Has growth rate	Moderate +
Has hardiness zone	8 +
Has image	Pittosporum tenuifolium RJB.jpg +
Has lifecycle type	Perennial +
Has mature height	7 +
Has mature width	4 +
Has primary image	Pittosporum tenuifolium RJB.jpg +
Has search name	pittosporum tenuifolium + and tawhiwhi +
Has shade tolerance	Light shade +
Has soil ph preference	Acid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil texture preference	Sandy + and Loamy +
Has soil water retention preference	Well drained +
Has sun preference	Full sun +
Has taxonomic rank	Species +
Has taxonomy name	Pittosporum tenuifolium +
Has water requirements	moderate +
Is deciduous or evergreen	Evergreen +
Is herbaceous or woody	Woody +
Is taxonomy type	Species +
PFAF cultivation notes migrated	No +
PFAF edible use notes migrated	No +
PFAF material use notes migrated	No +
PFAF medicinal use notes migrated	Yes +
PFAF propagation notes migrated	No +
PFAF toxicity notes migrated	No +
Tolerates maritime exposure	Yes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soil	No +
Tolerates wind	Yes +
Uses mature size measurement unit	Meters +
Has subobjectThis property is a special property in this wiki.	Pittosporum tenuifolium +