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Pittosporum tobira
  • Tobira

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Pittosporum genus in the family Pittosporaceae.

248px
Niche
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The ecosystem niches for this plant are unknown. Do you know them? Click the edit button to add them!
Functions
  • Hedge
    Hedge
    There are no details available for this function.
  • Windbreak
    Windbreak
    There are no details available for this function.
Light
  • Full sun
    Full sun
    The amount of sun exposure that a plant prefers in ideal conditions.
    Key
  • light shade
    Light shade
    The amount of shade a plant will tolerate without adverse health affects.
    Key
Water
  • Water Requirementsmoderate
    Moderate
    The amount of water a plant needs for healthy growth, relative to other plants.
    Key
Soil
  • acid,neutral,alkaline
    Acid to Alkaline
    The PH range (acidity or alkilinity) of the growth medium ideal for healthy nutrient absorbtion.
    Key
  • Sandy to Loamy
    The soil texture this plant prefers for optimal growth.
    Key
Cold & Heat
  • 8
    Zone 8
    The USDA Hardiness scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the minimum temperature a plant can survive.
    Key
    0< -53.9ºC< -65ºF
    1-51.1ºC-60ºF
    2-45.6ºC-50F
    3-40ºC-40ºF
    4-34.4ºC-30ºF
    5-28.9ºC-20ºF
    6-23.3ºC-10ºF
    7-17.8ºC0ºF
    8-12.2C10ºF
    9-6.7ºC20ºF
    10-1.1ºC30ºF
    114.4ºC40ºF
    12> 10ºC> 5ºF
  • ?
    Unknown
    The AHS Heat scale assigns plants a number from 1 to 12 representing the number of days per year a plant requires a temperature exceeding 30ºC (86ºF).
    Key
    11
    21 - 7
    38 - 14
    415 - 30
    531 - 45
    646 - 60
    761 - 90
    891 - 120
    9121 - 150
    10151 - 180
    11181 - 210
    12181 - 210

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

There are no edible uses listed for Pittosporum tobira.

Material uses

Very tolerant of pruning and maritime exposure, it can be grown as a wind resistant hedge. It can be used in shelterbelt plantings[3].
There are no material uses listed for Pittosporum tobira.

Medicinal uses(Warning!)

There are no medicinal uses listed for Pittosporum tobira.

Ecology

Ecosystem niche/layer

Ecological Functions

Hedge


Windbreak

Forage

Nothing listed.

Shelter

Nothing listed.

Propagation

Seed - sow when ripe in the autumn or in late winter in a warm greenhouse[4][3]. 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[4]. 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[4].

Basal ripewood cuttings late autumn in a cold frame[3].

Practical Plants is currently lacking information on propagation instructions of Pittosporum tobira. 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[3]. Succeeds in dry soils[3]. Very resistant to maritime exposure[5]. Established plants are drought resistant[6].

Hardy to about -10°c[5], succeeding outdoors on the coast of S. England and in London[5]. Plants can be up to 10m tall in their native habitat but rarely exceed 2m in Britain. There are some named forms, selected for their ornamental value[3]. The flowers are very fragrant, with a scent reminiscent of orange blossom[7] and can pervade the air for a considerable distance[8]. Very amenable to pruning, plants can be cut right back into old wood if required[3]. The species in this genus are very likely to hybridize with other members of the genus[3]. 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 in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[3].

Crops

Problems, pests & diseases

Associations & Interactions

There are no interactions listed for Pittosporum tobira. 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 tobira.

Descendants

Cultivars

Varieties

None listed.

Subspecies

None listed.

Full Data

This table shows all the data stored for this plant.

Taxonomy
Binomial name
Pittosporum tobira
Genus
Pittosporum
Family
Pittosporaceae
Imported References
Edible uses
Medicinal uses
Material uses & Functions
[3]
Botanic
[3][9]
Propagation
Cultivation
Environment
Cultivation
Uses
Edible uses
None listed.
Material uses
None listed.
Medicinal uses
None listed.
Functions & Nature
Functions
Hedge, Windbreak
Provides forage for
Provides shelter for
Environment
Hardiness Zone
8
Heat Zone
?
Water
moderate
Sun
full sun
Shade
light shade
Soil PH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Soil Texture
sandy, loamy
Soil Water Retention
well drained
Environmental Tolerances
  • Drought
  • Strong wind
  • Maritime exposure
Ecosystems
Native Climate Zones
None listed.
Adapted Climate Zones
None listed.
Native Geographical Range
None listed.
Native Environment
None listed.
Ecosystem Niche
None listed.
Root Zone Tendancy
None listed.
Life
Deciduous or Evergreen
evergreen
Herbaceous or Woody
woody
Life Cycle
perennial
Growth Rate
?
Mature Size
6 x 4 meters
Fertility
?
Pollinators
?
Flower Colour
?
Flower Type
hermaphrodite

"image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

"image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.


"image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

"image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

"image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki., "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki., "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki., "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki. "image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki."image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki."image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki."image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.






References

  1. ? Lassak. E. V. and McCarthy. T. Australian Medicinal Plants. ()
  2. ? Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria. ()
  3. ? 3.003.013.023.033.043.053.063.073.083.093.10 Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press ISBN 0-333-47494-5 (1992-00-00)
  4. ? 4.04.14.2 Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co (1948-00-00)
  5. ? 5.05.15.2 Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Shrubs. Pan Books ISBN 0-330-30258-2 (1989-00-00)
  6. ? Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray ISBN 0-7195-5043-2 (1992-00-00)
  7. ? Grey-Wilson. C. & Matthews. V. Gardening on Walls Collins ISBN 0-00-219220-0 (1983-00-00)
  8. ? Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. ISBN 0-7090-5440-8 (1994-00-00)
  9. ? [Flora of China] (1994-00-00)

"image:Pittosporum tobira6.jpg|248px" cannot be used as a page name in this wiki.

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Facts about "Pittosporum tobira"RDF feed
Article is incompleteYes +
Article requires citationsNo +
Article requires cleanupYes +
Belongs to familyPittosporaceae +
Belongs to genusPittosporum +
Functions asHedge + and Windbreak +
Has common nameTobira +
Has drought toleranceTolerant +
Has environmental toleranceMaritime exposure +, High wind + and Drought +
Has flowers of typeHermaphrodite +
Has hardiness zone8 +
Has imagePittosporum tobira6.jpg +
Has lifecycle typePerennial +
Has mature height6 +
Has mature width4 +
Has primary imagePittosporum tobira6.jpg +
Has search namepittosporum tobira + and x +
Has shade toleranceLight shade +
Has soil ph preferenceAcid +, Neutral + and Alkaline +
Has soil teloamyture preferenceLoamy +
Has soil tesandyture preferenceSandy +
Has soil water retention preferenceWell drained +
Has sun preferenceFull sun +
Has taxonomy namePittosporum tobira +
Has water requirementsmoderate +
Is deciduous or evergreenEvergreen +
Is herbaceous or woodyWoody +
Is taxonomy typeSpecies +
Tolerates maritime exposureYes +
Tolerates nutritionally poor soilNo +
Tolerates windYes +
Uses mature size measurement unitMeters +