YardRemake
Japanese Pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira)Shrubs

Japanese Pittosporum

Pittosporum tobira

Japanese Pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira) is a fast-growing shrub, hardy in USDA zones 9-10, that matures to about 10-15 ft × 10-15 ft. It does best in full sun and part shade with medium water needs in well-drained, moist and occasionally-dry soil. Expect cream and white blooms in spring. It stands up well to salt, grows happily in containers.

USDA zones
9-10
Sun
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Medium
Mature size
10-15 ft × 10-15 ft
Spacing
6-feet-12 feet
Growth rate
Fast
Maintenance
Low
Soil
Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally-dry
Foliage
Green, Variegated
Bloom color
Cream, White
Bloom season
Spring
Tough against
Salt
Native to
China, Japan

In the landscape

AccentBarrierFlowering treeFoundationHedgeSpecimenCoastalContainer

Freeze survival

Will it survive your winters?

Hardiness zones show a normal bad winter. We check the worst one — Japanese Pittosporum is hardy to about 20°F (estimated from USDA zone 9), so we'll score it against the real coldest nights your area has actually had.

Powered by ~35 years of daily lows from the nearest NOAA weather station. A risk read, not a guarantee — a sheltered spot or mature plant beats the odds.

See the Japanese Pittosporum in your own yard

Upload a photo and our AI designs with real plants like this one — matched to your USDA zone.

More shrubs