Pittosporum tobira

Japanese pittosporum, mock orange, Mock Orange

Family: Pittosporaceae · Type: shrub · Not Native

Japanese pittosporum is a naturalized shrub found in southern California coastal areas in disturbed landscapes at elevations below 200 meters. Flowering from November to May, this plant produces fragrant white flowers 10 to 12 millimeters long in terminal umbel-like clusters. Growing as a small tree or shrub up to 8 meters tall with hairy young twigs, it develops a dense, compact form. Its leathery obovate leaves are 3 to 14 centimeters long with margins turned under, presenting a smooth, glossy dark green appearance. The fruit is an ovoid capsule 10 to 18 millimeters long, densely hairy and splitting into three valves, revealing dark red seeds.

Habitat: Disturbed areas

Bloom period: Nov-May

Elevation: < 200 m

Bioregions: SCo

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.