Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Golf Ball'
Kohuhu
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Supplied as an established plant in a 2 litre pot
Aspect
Full sun to partial shade
Hardiness
Hardy in milder and sheltered parts of the UK, but benefits from a sheltered spot out of cold drying winds. Protect young plants from hard frost, and in colder gardens consider growing it in a container that can be moved to shelter over winter.
Flowers
Summer
Soil
Loam, sand, chalk
About this plant
A neat evergreen ball, without the box worries
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Description
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Golf Ball' is a compact, evergreen shrub grown for its neat, naturally rounded shape and small, glossy, bright green leaves held on slender near-black stems. Forming a dense dome with little or no pruning, it makes an excellent low-maintenance alternative to box, whether as a specimen, a low hedge, or a container plant. Discreet, honey-scented dark purple flowers appear in late spring, though it is the year-round foliage and tidy shape that make it so useful.
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Why we like it
Key features
What makes it special
Evergreen, year-round interest
Fully hardy — comes back every year
Easy care, low effort
Specs & details
The particulars
- Botanical name
- Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Golf Ball'
- Common name
- Kohuhu
- Supplied as
- 2 litre pot
- Flower colour
- Purple
- Eventual height
- 1-1.5m (up to 2m over many years)
- Eventual spread
- 1-1.2m
- Flowering period
- Summer
- Habit
- Compact, rounded evergreen shrub
- Life cycle
- Evergreen shrub
- Hardiness
- Hardy in milder and sheltered parts of the UK, but benefits from a sheltered spot out of cold drying winds. Protect young plants from hard frost, and in colder gardens consider growing it in a container that can be moved to shelter over winter.
- Aspect
- Full sun to partial shade
- Soil type
- Loam, sand, chalk
- Moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Position
- Sheltered border, gravel garden, low hedge or container
- Plant spacing
- Usually grown as a specimen or in containers. For a low hedge, plant around 40 to 45cm apart.
- Growing skill
- Easy to grow
Plant calendar
When to plant, when it performs
Planting & care
Help it thrive
Planting guide
Plant in spring or early autumn into fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun to partial shade. Choose a sheltered spot out of cold drying winds, and avoid heavy, waterlogged ground. Full sun gives the best, densest foliage. Water in well and keep young plants watered through their first season. For a low hedge, space plants around 40 to 45cm apart.
Care tips
Very low maintenance. Water during dry spells while establishing, after which it is fairly drought-tolerant. Little pruning is needed, but a light trim in late spring keeps the shape crisp if wanted. Avoid heavy pruning and late-summer cuts. Feed with a balanced fertiliser in spring, and remove any frost-damaged growth as new growth begins.