Pittosporum tenuifolium Bannow Bay ('Breebay')

RHS Plant Profile
tawhiwhi [Bannow Bay]

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tawhiwhi [Bannow Bay] RHS

Other common names

black matipo [Bannow Bay]

Synonyms

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Breebay'

Shrubs
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Compact evergreen shrub about 1m in height and 60cm wide, with dark young stems and small, grey-green, wavy-margined, glossy leaves with a creamy-white edge, aging to mottled green tinted pink then crimson in winter. Small, honey-scented, bell-shaped dark purple flowers are produced in clusters, from early summer

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

0.5-1 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.5-1 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained or Well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or East–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
Trade

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in sun or light shade, with shelter from cold drying winds. Ideal for container cultivation and topiary shapes. See pittosporum cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Low Maintenance
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Hedging and screens

Pruning

Pruning group 1; prune hedges in spring or midsummer

Pests

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

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews, leafspot and honey fungus (rarely)