Japanese cheesewood
ExplorePlants
Japanese cheesewood
Pittosporum tobira
Japanese cheesewood is a lovely shrub with shiny leaves and sweet-smelling flowers. It can grow tall and is often used in gardens to make them beautiful and fragrant.
Habitat: Urban areas
Appearance
The Japanese cheesewood is an evergreen shrub with dense, glossy, leathery leaves that are dark green, sometimes variegated with yellow or white edges. It has clusters of small, star-shaped flowers that bloom in late spring, starting white and turning creamy yellow. Its overall shape is typically mounding and compact.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderApialesFamilyPittosporaceaeGenusPittosporum
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
After flowering, it grows fuzzy green fruits that eventually split open to show bright red, sticky seeds inside!
In some places, people have used its flexible branches to weave strong and beautiful baskets!
Its starry flowers start pure white, then slowly change to a creamy yellow color as they mature!
The 'cheesewood' name might come from its pale, cheeselike wood or its sweet-smelling flowers!
Special abilities
Ability
Salt-Spray Shield
Japanese cheesewood has tough, waxy leaves that resist salty sea winds, helping it thrive in coastal environments.
Ability
Drought Survivor
Its thick, leathery leaves help the Japanese cheesewood store water and reduce loss, allowing it to endure dry spells.
Ability
Evergreen Energy
The Japanese cheesewood keeps its shiny green leaves all year round, so it can make food and grow even in winter.
Ability
Sweet Scent Beacon
Japanese cheesewood releases a sweet, citrusy scent from its flowers, acting like a perfume to attract pollinating insects.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 200-500 cm
- Spread
- 200-600 cm
- Flower Size
- 0.5-1 cm
- Bloom Season
- Late spring to early summer
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- Mild
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
European honey bee
Apis mellifera
Attracted by fragrant flowers
eats
Cottony cushion scale
Icerya purchasi
Sucks sap from stems/leaves
eaten by
Cedar Waxwing
Bombycilla cedrorum
May consume its seeds/fruits
eats
Black rat
Rattus rattus
Feeds on seeds and fruits
Traits
Aromatic
Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators.
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Shrub
A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground.
Variegated
Pertaining to plants with leaves or petals exhibiting different colors in patches or stripes.
Evergreen
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
Fragrant Flower
Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
Pollinator Magnet
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Urban Friendly
This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
2/5 · Low
Do not eat any part of the plant, as it can make you feel sick.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is Japanese cheesewood?
200-500 cm
How wide does Japanese cheesewood spread?
200-600 cm
How big are the flowers on Japanese cheesewood?
0.5-1 cm
When does Japanese cheesewood bloom?
Late spring to early summer
Is Japanese cheesewood edible?
No
Is Japanese cheesewood toxic?
Mild
What is Japanese cheesewood's lifecycle?
Perennial
How is Japanese cheesewood pollinated?
Insect
Snap Map
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