Leaf
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Wikimedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Japanese mock orange
Pittosporum tobira
Also known as: Japanese pittosporum, Tobira
Family: Pittosporaceae
2 to 4 m tall
Hedges, seaside, containers, gardens, any free-draining soil
Flowering: April – May
Full sun
Part shade
Hardy to -12°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its flowers give off a particularly powerful orange blossom scent in the evening. Kohuhu has smaller, thinner leaves with wavy margins, borne on dark, almost black stems, whereas Japanese mock orange has broader, thicker leaves grouped in rosettes, with very fragrant flowers recalling orange blossom.
🍃 Leaves
Evergreen, leathery, oval, glossy green, grouped in a rosette at the ends of the twigs
🌸 Flowers
Small star-shaped creamy white flowers, orange blossom scent
🍎 Fruits
Small brown capsules opening to reveal sticky orange seeds
🪵 Bark
Grey-green twigs, compact rounded habit
🗺️ Distribution
China, Japan; widely grown on the French Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, not wild.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Very fragrant white flowers (orange blossom scent) in spring, nectar-bearing, visited by bees.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Planted as a clipped hedge or specimen on the coast, resistant to sea spray.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
Leaves and fruits contain saponins that may cause digestive irritation if ingested, particularly in domestic animals.
⚠️ Look-alike species
Japanese mock orange
Pittosporum tobira
Kohuhu
Pittosporum tenuifolium
Kohuhu has smaller, thinner leaves with wavy margins, borne on dark, almost black stems, whereas Japanese mock orange has broader, thicker leaves grouped in rosettes, with very fragrant flowers recalling orange blossom.
🌿 Other Pittosporaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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