Garden Forwardshrub
Kohuhu
Pittosporum tenuifolium
Growing guidance
Horticultural figures below are practitioner estimates for planning, pending expert review. The botanical record further down is sourced and verifiable.
Current-climate suitability
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Future-climate resilience
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Sun
Sun or shade
Soil moisture
average
Heat tolerance
Up to about 40°C
Cold tolerance
Down to about -8°C
Waterlogging tolerance
2/5
Drought tolerance
4/5
Mature size
2–5 m tall, 2.5 m spread
Seasonal interest
Evergreen · Glossy green
Maintenance
low
Wildlife supported
General wildlife value 3/5 (verified species relationships are shown only where structured data exists)
Known risks or warnings
Can be cut back hard by severe frost.
Toxicity: none
Verified botanical record
- Accepted scientific name
- Pittosporum tenuifolium Gaertn.
- Family
- Pittosporaceae (Apiales)
- Rank and status
- species · accepted
- GBIF record
- Taxon 2986293
Recorded as introduced in: Belgium, California, Channel Is., England, France, Great Britain, Ireland, Scotland, Tasmania, The Netherlands
Ranges are exactly as recorded in the GBIF source checklists and may be incomplete for widely cultivated species.
Pittosporum tenuifolium is a small evergreen tree endemic to New Zealand – growing up to 10 m (33 ft) – commonly known as kōhūhū and black matipo, and by other Māori names kohukohu and tawhiwhi. Its small, very dark, reddish-purple flowers generally go unnoticed, and are scented only at night. The Latin tenuifolium means "slender-leaved".
Description from Wikipedia — Pittosporum tenuifolium (CC BY-SA), shortened and unedited in substance.
Native status and geographic context
- United Kingdom: climate-suitable
- United States: climate-suitable
- Australia: climate-suitable
Native status is never inferred from climate similarity. Plants restricted or invasive in a jurisdiction are excluded from recommendations there.
Demonstration data. Climate, plant and retailer records shown here are realistic samples awaiting horticultural validation and live data connections.