# 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. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Habitat:** Urban areas ![Japanese cheesewood](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Pittosporum_Tobira_JPG0.jpg&width=800) Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, CC BY 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pittosporum_Tobira_JPG0.jpg) ## 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. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Apiales - **Family:** Pittosporaceae - **Genus:** Pittosporum ## 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 - **Salt-Spray Shield:** Japanese cheesewood has tough, waxy leaves that resist salty sea winds, helping it thrive in coastal environments. - **Drought Survivor:** Its thick, leathery leaves help the Japanese cheesewood store water and reduce loss, allowing it to endure dry spells. - **Evergreen Energy:** The Japanese cheesewood keeps its shiny green leaves all year round, so it can make food and grow even in winter. - **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](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cottony-cushion-scale) (*Icerya purchasi*) — Sucks sap from stems/leaves - **Eaten by:** [Cedar Waxwing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/cedar-waxwing) (*Bombycilla cedrorum*) — May consume its seeds/fruits - **Eats:** [Black rat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-rat) (*Rattus rattus*) — Feeds on seeds and fruits ## Traits - [Aromatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aromatic): Aromatic plants produce and emit fragrant volatile organic compounds, often for defense or to attract pollinators. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Variegated](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/variegated): Pertaining to plants with leaves or petals exhibiting different colors in patches or stripes. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not eat any part of the plant, as it can make you feel sick. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Japanese cheesewood? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### 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 ## Where to spot - [Ise-Shima National Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/ise-shima-national-park) — Kansai / Tokai, JP · Park - [Saikai National Park: a Kujukushima nature day](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/saikai-national-park) — Kyushu, JP · Park ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Japanese cheesewood: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/japanese-cheesewood)