Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Irene Paterson' (m/v)

RHS Plant Profile

tawhiwhi 'Irene Paterson'

Synonyms

Pittosporum 'Irene Paterson'

Shrubs

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A slow-growing evergreen shrub to 1.5m tall or more, with purplish stems bearing rounded, wavy-margined leaves opening white, then becoming dark green, speckled and mottled between the veins with white, often tinged pink in winter, and tiny, fragrant deep purple flowers produced rather sparsely from late spring

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

1-1.5 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity: 5–10 years
Max Spread: 1-1.5 metres
Max Height: 1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand

Moisture: Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH: Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun

Aspect: West–facing or East–facing or South–facing
Exposure: Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20): H4

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower

Season	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family: Pittosporaceae
Native to GB/Ireland: No
Foliage: Evergreen
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Pittosporum are evergreen shrubs or trees with simple, leathery leaves and small, often fragrant, 5-petalled flowers, followed by spherical, woody fruits splitting to reveal seeds embedded in sticky pulp
Name Status: Accepted

How to Grow

Cultivation

Easy to grow in fertile, moist but well-drained, soil in full sun May need protection in colder climes especially from cold, drying winds

Propagation

Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Coastal
Cottage and informal garden
City and courtyard gardens
Low Maintenance
Hedging and screens
Wall side borders
Cut flowers

Pruning

Pruning group 1

Pests

May be susceptible to glasshouse red spider mite, aphids, cushion scale and pittosporum sucker

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews in dry soils and a leaf spot in exposed locations