PITTOSPORUM tobira

Interesting and rustic evergreen shrub with compact and bushy foliage. Native to China and Japan, but very widespread all over the world, it has a very fast growth rate that allows it to easily reach 35 m in height and almost as many in width. Branched from the base, it has branches with expanded development; the younger stems are pubescent grey, the older ones have a blackish-grey bark. The leaves, whole and leathery, alternate, lanceolate but rounded at the apex, have a glossy dark green upper page and opaque light green lower page, slightly curved downward margins and a showy yellowish central vein. Between April and June, you can enjoy the rich flowering of this plant: the cream-yellowish white flowers are gathered in terminal bunches at the apex of the branches of the previous year and are intensely perfumed, with an odor that is very reminiscent of that of Orange flowers; they are followed in autumn by the fruit, a globular greenish-yellow capsule.

Rustic plant characterized by an easy cultivation; it needs a sunny position and grows in shady situations too, but here growth and flowering will be poorer. It is a plant that does not require any particular soil, it only has to be well drained: in case of soils rich in clay that tend to suffocate humidity, when planting it is better to improve the drainage by using unrefined sand. Once established, it tolerates drought very well even if in spring-summer it benefits from regular irrigation. It tolerates saltiness and therefore it is ideal for coastal gardens. It also tolerates frost, if not intense and prolonged. After the vegetative restart, in spring, it is possible to remove the old, dry, damaged and disordered branches, reducing the most vigorous stems in order to stimulate a denser and more compact growth. It can be grown in large containers with a very ornamental effect, in the open ground it can be used alone in free or geometric form, or with multiple specimens you can create tall and very ornamental hedges that require easy maintenance.