PlantFiles: Victorian Box, Sweet Pittosporum
Pittosporum undulatum

There is a lovely little tree in Shepherds Bush, West Central London on a small public housing development, where once terraced houses stood (which were blown away in the War)

Although its always been mild here, these days just about anything grows in central London, not being damaged by frost: Date palms, Avocados that fruit, umbrella plants..you name it!

I have been trying to take semi ripe and soft cuttings for about 4 years with no success! Today I decided to try hardwood heal cuttings for the first time. I have 8 prepared as standard and placed in various spots around my garden. Finger crossed.

This plant has been hiding in the bushes at Selby Gardens for years. Flowers Feb-Mar but not one single fruit. It's approx. 10 ft tall. Flowers on branches just out of reach. It's growing on the bay side (west) of the new restrooms, 8 feet past the Cocculus laurifolius plant.
Cold hardy so far.

Sunset Western Garden Book lists this as a native to Australia. I mention it as additional information to consider, even though WWF has it listed as invasive.

It has been noted that it seeds freely here in California so it would not surprise me if this was a nuisance tree out of it's natural habitat in Australia.

On the bright side, it could be a great addition to a native plant garden down under if properly sited.

There are 40 foot and 20 foot Pittosporum undulatum trees in my garden. The fragrant blossoms perfume the entire yard in the spring.

This is one plant I don't miss at all. The sticky seed pods stain every thing it touches even though the blossoms are enjoyable. If it is grown in the shade, it doesn't recover from a trim well and looks massacred for a long time.

This can be a beautiful tree and have wonderful flowers and scent but be wary of planting near a walkway or path as the droppings track very easily because they are so gooey. And the droppings last much longer than the scented blooms.

We have this plant as an 8ft. hedge along one side of the garden. It makes a good evergreen hedge and windbreak, that keeps its shape well. We clip it twice a year, the first time after flowering, partly to reduce the seed pods which will self seed and germinate quite freely. The flowering is pretty and smells sweet. The plant however produces a sticky sap when cut, which can tend to gum up shears etc.A minor nuisance.

Very pleasantly fragrant when blooming. Attractive street-tree in SoCal.