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Cheesewoods (Pittosporum)
Cheesewoods is a genus of evergreen shrubs and trees that feature in many gardens since they are attractive and hardy growers. You will recognize cheesewoods species by their waxy olive green leaves and distinctive flowers which have five petals and five sepals. Many members of this genus are ornamental garden plants, and some are also grown as bonsai plants.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Shrub
Key Facts About Cheesewoods
Feedback
Attributes of Cheesewoods
Plant Height
3 m
Spread
1.2 m
Leaf type
Evergreen
Ideal Temperature
15 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Cheesewoods
Distribution of Cheesewoods
Feedback
Distribution Map of Cheesewoods
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Cheesewoods
Feedback
Cheesewoods is a versatile and low-maintenance genus, often praised for its vibrant foliage. It prefers full sun to partial shade, regular watering, but can tolerate some drought. It thrives in well-drained soil and moderate temperatures. Common challenges include pests like aphids and mealybugs, and diseases like cheesewoods leaf gall. Seasonal considerations include adding a layer of mulch in summer for moisture retention and frost-protection measures in colder zones during winter.
How to Water Cheesewoods?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Cheesewoods?
How to Propagate Cheesewoods?
How to Plant Cheesewoods?
Exploring the Cheesewoods Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Kōhūhū
Kōhūhū (*Pittosporum tenuifolium*) is a plant species native and endemic to New Zealand. Kōhūhū has flowers which are fragrant at night. This species' scientific name means "slender leaves." kōhūhū grows in coastal and lower mountain forest areas. This plant attracts multiple species of insects, as well as fungal pathogens. Indigenous Māori people extract oil from this species for its scent.
Japanese pittosporum
The name of the japanese pittosporum can be deceiving. It is not a true orange plant, it instead gets its name from the fact that the highly fragrant flowers have a distinct citrus scent. The flowers don’t last for a long time, only about two weeks, but the dark evergreen foliage is attractive all year long and the plant makes a great addition to a border or as a stand-alone plant.
Australian cheesewood
Australian cheesewood (Pittosporum undulatum) is a tree that produces conspicuous orange, woody fruits. Australian cheesewood is considered a fast-growing species and has become invasive in Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, and Brazil. This species attracts moths and butterflies.
Karo
Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium) is a species of shrub or small tree that is native to the lowlands and coastal forests of northern New Zealand. In summer and fall it produces fruit that is attractive to both native and exotic birds; these birds then disperse the seeds sometimes far south of the plant’s original range.
Lemonwood
Pittosporum eugenioides, also known as lemonwood, is an evergreen tree native to New Zealand. Its yellow-green leaves have a strong lemony aroma when crushed, and its yellow blossoms are very fragrant.
Cape cheesewood
Cape cheesewood is a fascinating plant with interesting qualities. It catches the eye with its stunning green flowers and glossy leaves. Gardeners appreciate this plant for its attractive appearance and the aromatic scent it releases. One interesting fact about cape cheesewood is its economic value, as its wood is commonly used for crafting furniture and other items. Additionally, cape cheesewood is known for attracting various insects and birds, enhancing biodiversity in the garden. Its unique characteristics make cape cheesewood a must-have for nature enthusiasts looking to add beauty and diversity to their outdoor spaces.
Chinese pittosporum
Chinese pittosporum is a lovely choice as an evergreen hedge or screen in a home garden. In spring it offers masses of tiny white flowers with an attractive citrus-blossom scent. This is the ideal plant for a beginner. It is drought tolerant, cold hardy, and requires very little maintenance.
Perching kohukohu
Pittosporum cornifolium is an attractive hanging plant or shrub growing to 2 m tall, with leaves which are shiny dark green, arranged in wide verticils or whorls. Reddish buds appear over the top of the verticils, producing yellow fragrant flowers usually in late winter. The fruit opens to reveal black seeds highlighted by the orange coloured pith covering the internal surface of the capsule, attracting birds.
All Species of Cheesewoods
Kōhūhū
Kōhūhū
Kōhūhū (*Pittosporum tenuifolium*) is a plant species native and endemic to New Zealand. Kōhūhū has flowers which are fragrant at night. This species' scientific name means "slender leaves." kōhūhū grows in coastal and lower mountain forest areas. This plant attracts multiple species of insects, as well as fungal pathogens. Indigenous Māori people extract oil from this species for its scent.
Japanese pittosporum
Japanese pittosporum
The name of the japanese pittosporum can be deceiving. It is not a true orange plant, it instead gets its name from the fact that the highly fragrant flowers have a distinct citrus scent. The flowers don’t last for a long time, only about two weeks, but the dark evergreen foliage is attractive all year long and the plant makes a great addition to a border or as a stand-alone plant.
Australian cheesewood
Australian cheesewood
Australian cheesewood (Pittosporum undulatum) is a tree that produces conspicuous orange, woody fruits. Australian cheesewood is considered a fast-growing species and has become invasive in Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, and Brazil. This species attracts moths and butterflies.
Karo
Karo
Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium) is a species of shrub or small tree that is native to the lowlands and coastal forests of northern New Zealand. In summer and fall it produces fruit that is attractive to both native and exotic birds; these birds then disperse the seeds sometimes far south of the plant’s original range.
Lemonwood
Lemonwood
Pittosporum eugenioides, also known as lemonwood, is an evergreen tree native to New Zealand. Its yellow-green leaves have a strong lemony aroma when crushed, and its yellow blossoms are very fragrant.
Cape cheesewood
Cape cheesewood
Cape cheesewood is a fascinating plant with interesting qualities. It catches the eye with its stunning green flowers and glossy leaves. Gardeners appreciate this plant for its attractive appearance and the aromatic scent it releases. One interesting fact about cape cheesewood is its economic value, as its wood is commonly used for crafting furniture and other items. Additionally, cape cheesewood is known for attracting various insects and birds, enhancing biodiversity in the garden. Its unique characteristics make cape cheesewood a must-have for nature enthusiasts looking to add beauty and diversity to their outdoor spaces.
Chinese pittosporum
Chinese pittosporum
Chinese pittosporum is a lovely choice as an evergreen hedge or screen in a home garden. In spring it offers masses of tiny white flowers with an attractive citrus-blossom scent. This is the ideal plant for a beginner. It is drought tolerant, cold hardy, and requires very little maintenance.
Perching kohukohu
Perching kohukohu
Pittosporum cornifolium is an attractive hanging plant or shrub growing to 2 m tall, with leaves which are shiny dark green, arranged in wide verticils or whorls. Reddish buds appear over the top of the verticils, producing yellow fragrant flowers usually in late winter. The fruit opens to reveal black seeds highlighted by the orange coloured pith covering the internal surface of the capsule, attracting birds.
Kohuhu 'Abbotsbury Gold'
Kohuhu 'Abbotsbury Gold'
Kohuhu 'Abbotsbury Gold' is named for its golden yellow leaves and for the village of Abbotsbury in Dorset, England. These golden leaves are a marked contrast to the plain green leaves of its New Zealand native parent. Although its flowers are small, they reward gardeners with their delightful fragrance.
Kohuhu 'Warnham Gold'
Kohuhu 'Warnham Gold'
Kohuhu 'Warnham Gold' is a hardy evergreen shrub notable for its luminous golden-green leaves that shimmer in the sunlight, providing a striking contrast against darker foliage. Its wavy-edged leaves and delicate, honey-scented purple flowers, which emerge in late spring, give kohuhu 'Warnham Gold' a distinctive appearance. Thriving in well-drained soil, kohuhu 'Warnham Gold' contributes year-round interest to temperate gardens, adapting to both sun and partial shade.
Kohuhu 'Gold Star'
Kohuhu 'Gold Star'
Kohuhu 'Gold Star' is a Kohuhu cultivar selected to have bright green leaves with creamy-white markings that are most prominent at the leaf center, while the midribs are entirely white. The cultivar is further distinguished by its slightly curved leaf edges and its rounded, compact growth form.
Pittosporums
Pittosporums
Pittosporums is a resilient evergreen shrub characterized by its glossy, leathery leaves that glisten in the sunlight. Clusters of small, fragrant flowers emerge in spring, adding a sensory appeal. Adaptable to various soil conditions, pittosporums thrives in both sun and partial shade, illustrating its versatile nature amidst different environmental settings.
Pittosporum 'Garnettii'
Pittosporum 'Garnettii'
This cultivar is a dwarf form of the original Kohuhu plant. The pittosporum 'Garnettii' is shorter and more compact in size, with slender, multi-colored leaves. This cultivar is popular as a visual backdrop or hedge plant. It is one of the five varieties of the Kohuhu plant that has won the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Kohuhu 'Golf Ball'
Kohuhu 'Golf Ball'
Kohuhu 'Golf Ball' resonates with an ethereal charm defined by its vase-like growth habit, glossy leaves forming a dense evergreen shell. Tiny, scented flowers bloom under moonlight, imparting a mesmerizing allure to nocturnal pollinators. This avant-garde choice for neat, structure-imposing hedges and architectural containers offers an intriguing paradox of resilience, batting drought, salt, and wind with ease, whilst being virtually pest-free. Thus, kohuhu 'Golf Ball' embodies the rare blend of visual appeal and hardiness.
Kohuhu 'Victoria'
Kohuhu 'Victoria'
Kohuhu 'Victoria' is a Kohuhu cultivar, bred to have dark green, glossy leaves that are variegated with creamy-white markings. These markings are tinged with pink during the winter and spring, making the plant even more attractive and providing winter garden excitement when most plants are dormant.
Lemonwood 'Variegatum'
Lemonwood 'Variegatum'
Lemonwood 'Variegatum', a renowned Lemonwood cultivar, is named for its variegated foliage. It produces clusters of scented pale yellow flowers in the summer and has glossy oval green foliage with distinctive creamy-white margins. Lemonwood 'Variegatum' is the only Lemonwood cultivar to be awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Japanese pittosporum 'Nanum'
Japanese pittosporum 'Nanum'
A miniature version of its parent plant (Japanese pittosporum) japanese pittosporum 'Nanum' is a neat and compact shrub with glossy, deep green leaves and inconspicuous honey-scented flowers. Gardeners love this cultivar primarily for its compact growth shape, which makes a cultivar suitable for container growth, but it's also prized as a great substitute for Boxwood (Buxus spp.). Its name was derived from the Latin word "nanum", meaning "small, dwarf" which obviously refers to the cultivar's size.
Kohuhu 'Silver Queen'
Kohuhu 'Silver Queen'
A cultivar of Kohuhu, a New Zealand species, kohuhu 'Silver Queen' is named for the silvery margins that adorn its golden-green leaves. From a distance, the entire plant looks silvery rather than green, and its beauty has been recognized via an Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Japanese pittosporum 'Variegatum'
Japanese pittosporum 'Variegatum'
Japanese pittosporum 'Variegatum' is primarily noted for its extremely decorative, gray-green leaves with white markings. This cultivar is able to withstand drought quite well, but it's less cold-hardy and less vigorous than the parent plant, the Japanese pittosporum, and other cultivars. It is also a floriferous early bloomer.
Kohuhu 'Variegatum'
Kohuhu 'Variegatum'
Kohuhu 'Variegatum' is an evergreen shrub prized, as the name suggests, for its elegant cream and white variegated leaves. It grows in a neat oval shape and emits a pleasant, sweet fragrance when it blooms. It can grow up to 4.5 m high and 3 m wide, so it is often used as a hedging plant.
Kohuhu 'Tom Thumb'
Kohuhu 'Tom Thumb'
The kohuhu 'Tom Thumb' is a cultivar from the cheesewood family. This shrub’s foliage is small and purple. It has small purple/red flowers that appear at the end of spring or the beginning of summer. The blooms are not very noticeable, but they smell like honey. The name, kohuhu 'Tom Thumb', was probably given in reference to the shrub's small leaves and other features - they'd be just the right size for the mythical Tom Thumb. It holds a merit award from the Royal Horticultural Society.
Kohuhu 'Marjorie Channon'
Kohuhu 'Marjorie Channon'
Kohuhu 'Marjorie Channon' is an evergreen shrub or tree that stands out from its parent plant because it has attractive two-colored green and white leaves, in contrast to the plain green leaves of the parent shrub. These leaves are the plant's main garden appeal, offering year-round interest.
Silver Sheen Pittosporum
Silver Sheen Pittosporum
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen' has been developed for its silvery-green leaves, which have a distinctive glossy sheen. The parent shrub, by contrast, has plain green leaves. Its dense growth makes this a popular hedging shrub. Its salt-tolerance makes it well suited to coastal gardens.
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
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About
Key Facts
Distribution
How To Care
All Species
More Genus
Cheesewoods
Pittosporum
Cheesewoods is a genus of evergreen shrubs and trees that feature in many gardens since they are attractive and hardy growers. You will recognize cheesewoods species by their waxy olive green leaves and distinctive flowers which have five petals and five sepals. Many members of this genus are ornamental garden plants, and some are also grown as bonsai plants.
Lifespan
Perennial
Plant Type
Shrub
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Key Facts About Cheesewoods
Feedback
Attributes of Cheesewoods
Plant Height
3 m
Spread
1.2 m
Leaf type
Evergreen
Ideal Temperature
15 - 38 ℃
Scientific Classification of Cheesewoods
Distribution of Cheesewoods
Feedback
Distribution Map of Cheesewoods
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
How to Grow and Care for Cheesewoods
Feedback
Cheesewoods is a versatile and low-maintenance genus, often praised for its vibrant foliage. It prefers full sun to partial shade, regular watering, but can tolerate some drought. It thrives in well-drained soil and moderate temperatures. Common challenges include pests like aphids and mealybugs, and diseases like cheesewoods leaf gall. Seasonal considerations include adding a layer of mulch in summer for moisture retention and frost-protection measures in colder zones during winter.
How to Water Cheesewoods?
What Are the Sunlight Requirements for Cheesewoods?
How to Propagate Cheesewoods?
How to Plant Cheesewoods?
Exploring the Cheesewoods Plants
Feedback
8 most common species：
Kōhūhū
Kōhūhū (*Pittosporum tenuifolium*) is a plant species native and endemic to New Zealand. Kōhūhū has flowers which are fragrant at night. This species' scientific name means "slender leaves." kōhūhū grows in coastal and lower mountain forest areas. This plant attracts multiple species of insects, as well as fungal pathogens. Indigenous Māori people extract oil from this species for its scent.
Japanese pittosporum
The name of the japanese pittosporum can be deceiving. It is not a true orange plant, it instead gets its name from the fact that the highly fragrant flowers have a distinct citrus scent. The flowers don’t last for a long time, only about two weeks, but the dark evergreen foliage is attractive all year long and the plant makes a great addition to a border or as a stand-alone plant.
Australian cheesewood
Australian cheesewood (Pittosporum undulatum) is a tree that produces conspicuous orange, woody fruits. Australian cheesewood is considered a fast-growing species and has become invasive in Australia, South Africa, Hawaii, and Brazil. This species attracts moths and butterflies.
Karo
Karo (Pittosporum crassifolium) is a species of shrub or small tree that is native to the lowlands and coastal forests of northern New Zealand. In summer and fall it produces fruit that is attractive to both native and exotic birds; these birds then disperse the seeds sometimes far south of the plant’s original range.
Show More Species
All Species of Cheesewoods
Kōhūhū
Japanese pittosporum
Australian cheesewood
Karo
Lemonwood
Cape cheesewood
Chinese pittosporum
Perching kohukohu
Kohuhu 'Abbotsbury Gold'
Kohuhu 'Warnham Gold'
Kohuhu 'Gold Star'
Pittosporums
Pittosporum 'Garnettii'
Kohuhu 'Golf Ball'
Kohuhu 'Victoria'
Lemonwood 'Variegatum'
Japanese pittosporum 'Nanum'
Kohuhu 'Silver Queen'
Japanese pittosporum 'Variegatum'
Kohuhu 'Variegatum'
Kohuhu 'Tom Thumb'
Kohuhu 'Marjorie Channon'
Silver Sheen Pittosporum
More Popular Genus
Feedback
Dracaena
Dracaena are popular house plants that are easy to grow. They can tolerate low-light conditions and require little watering. Their leaves range from variegated to dark green. Their characteristic traits include woody stems that grow slowly but offer a striking appearance for small spaces such as apartments or offices.
Fig trees
Fig trees have been cultivated in many regions for their fruits, particularly the common fig, F. carica. Most of the species have edible fruits, although the common fig is the only one of commercial value. Fig trees are also important food sources for wildlife in the tropics, including monkeys, bats, and insects.
Brambles
Brambles are members of the rose family, and there are hundreds of different types to be found throughout the European countryside. They have been culturally significant for centuries; Christian folklore stories hold that when the devil was thrown from heaven, he landed on a bramble bush. Their vigorous growth habit can tangle into native plants and take over.
Maples
The popular tree family known as maples change the color of their leaves in the fall. Many cultural traditions encourage people to watch the colors change, such as momijigari in Japan. Maples popular options for bonsai art. Alternately, their sap is used to create maple syrup.
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of flowering fruit trees that includes almonds, cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, and apricots. These are often known as "stone fruits" because their pits are large seeds or "stones." When prunus trees are damaged, they exhibit "gummosis," a condition in which the tree's gum (similar to sap) is secreted to the bark to help heal external wounds.
Nightshades
Nightshades is a large and diverse genus of plants, with more than 1500 different types worldwide. This genus incorporates both important staple food crops like tomato, potato, and eggplant, but also dangerous poisonous plants from the nightshade family. The name was coined by Pliny the Elder almost two thousand years ago.
Roses
Most species of roses are shrubs or climbing plants that have showy flowers and sharp thorns. They are commonly cultivated for cut flowers or as ornamental plants in gardens due to their attractive appearance, pleasant fragrance, and cultural significance in many countries. The rose hips (fruits) can also be used in jams and teas.
Oaks
Oaks are among the world's longest-lived trees, sometimes growing for over 1,000 years! The oldest known oak tree is in the southern United States and is over 1,500 years old. Oaks produce an exceedingly popular type of wood which is used to make different products, from furniture and flooring to wine barrels and even cosmetic creams.
Your Ultimate Guide to Plants
Identify grow and nurture the better way!
17,000 local species +400,000 global species studied
Nearly 5 years of research
80+ scholars in botany and gardening
Continue reading in our app - it's better
A database of 400000+ plants
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
unlimited guides at your fingertips...
