Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Dwarf Pittosporum
Dwarf Pittosporum is a low, dense mound of glossy dark green leaves that stays about 2 to 3 feet tall. It fits foundation beds, low borders and pots, and it holds its shape with little pruning. In spring it carries small creamy-white flowers with an orange-blossom scent. It does best on the east side of a Valley home, with afternoon shade.
Best for: foundation beds and low borders on an east side, mass plantings, low hedges, patio pots, and shaded beds where a green mound fits.
At about 2 to 3 feet tall it fits foundation beds and low borders along walks. Plant 2 to 3 feet apart, center to center.
Several planted together knit into a low green hedge or mass planting. The dense, glossy leaves hold their rounded shape with little pruning.
It does best on the east side of the house or anywhere with afternoon shade. It also makes a good patio container plant.
Hot west or afternoon sun scorches the leaves in the Valley. It wants regular summer water, and soil that stays soggy brings root rot.
- Mass planting or low hedge2 ft apart, center to center
- Looser border3 ft apart, center to center
Keep a steady schedule the first season. Once rooted, water about weekly in summer and more in extreme heat. It is not a low-water shrub here.
Give it morning sun and afternoon shade. West sun scorches the leaves.
It needs very little pruning, so trim single stems by hand instead of shearing.
Knock aphids off with a spray of water or insecticidal soap. Treat scale with horticultural oil.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Dwarf Pittosporum get?
It forms a dense, rounded mound about 2 to 3 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, growing slowly to moderately. It fits a foundation bed without regular trimming.
How far apart should I plant Dwarf Pittosporum?
Plant them about 24 to 36 inches apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Can Dwarf Pittosporum take full sun in Phoenix?
It is sold for sun to part shade, but in the Valley afternoon shade or an east side is best. Keep it off west walls, where the sun scorches the leaves.
How often should I water it?
Water on a steady schedule the first season. Once rooted, water about weekly in summer and more often in heat. It is not a low-water shrub here.
Does it flower?
Yes, small creamy-white flower clusters open in spring with an orange-blossom scent, and bees and butterflies visit them. Plant it near an entry or patio to enjoy the scent.
Should I shear Dwarf Pittosporum?
It is better not to. It holds a rounded shape with little pruning. Cut back stray stems lightly by hand when needed.
What soil does it need?
Most soils work, from sand to clay, as long as water drains. Soil that stays wet can cause root rot.
What pests bother pittosporum?
Aphids and scale are the common ones. Knock aphids off with a spray of water or insecticidal soap, and treat scale with horticultural oil.
How cold can it take?
It takes about 15°F, so it is frost hardy in Phoenix and needs no frost cover in a normal winter.
How is it different from regular Mock Orange Pittosporum?
It is the same species in a compact form. Dwarf Pittosporum stays about 2 to 3 feet, while the full-size shrub can reach 6 to 15 feet.
Dwarf Pittosporum for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Dwarf Pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf', also sold as 'Wheeleri') is a compact form of mock orange. It makes a dense mound of glossy dark green leaves about 2 to 3 feet tall. Below are the questions people ask most, from size, spacing, sun and water to soil, pruning, pests and how it compares with the full-size shrub.
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Dwarf Pittosporum in Arizona
Dwarf Pittosporum is a compact mock orange with glossy dark green leaves. It stays about 2 to 3 feet tall and carries orange-blossom scented flowers in spring.
How far apart to plant Dwarf Pittosporum
Plant about 24 to 36 inches apart, center to center, for a low border or mass planting. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your bed.
Sun or shade for Dwarf Pittosporum in Phoenix
In the Valley it does best with morning sun and afternoon shade, like an east-side bed. West sun scorches the leaves.
Watering Dwarf Pittosporum
Keep new plants on a steady schedule the first season. Once rooted, water about weekly in summer and more in heat, and let soggy soil drain.
Pruning Dwarf Pittosporum
It keeps a dense, rounded shape with little pruning. Trim stray stems lightly by hand rather than shearing the whole plant.
Dwarf Pittosporum vs full-size Mock Orange
Both are Pittosporum tobira with the same scented spring flowers. The dwarf form stays about 2 to 3 feet, while the full-size shrub can reach 6 to 15 feet.
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