Pittosporum tenuifolium Bannow Bay - Kohuhu

Pittosporum tenuifolium Bannow Bay is a fantastic mutation of Pittosporum Tom Thumb, with small purple leaves, whose foliage delightfully evolves over the months. This beautiful shrub with a rounded and bushy habit is covered with young olive green leaves margined with white, becoming splashed with pink and coppery pink, and ending in a beautiful range of purple when it gets cold. Small inconspicuous flowers release an intense scent of honey and vanilla on summer evenings.  It is a very pretty plant for mild climates, even dry in summer, which will also make an impact in a large pot on the terrace. It will be necessary to protect it from severe frost in cold regions.                                        

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Bannow Bay', from the family of Pittosporaceae, comes from a species native to dry regions located east of the Alps in New Zealand. Over time, it forms a dense and rounded bush, measuring 50 to 80 cm (20 to 32in) in height, with a roughly equivalent spread. Its black and branched stems bear evergreen, alternate, entire, ovate, thick, very glossy, leathery leaves with undulate margins. They are small, not exceeding 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in length and 1.5 to 2 cm (1in) in width. When they first appear, they are almond green in colour margined with cream-white, with the margin changing colour throughout the season, while the leaf also evolves, becoming tinged and stained with different shades of pink, brick, bronze, burgundy, and violet-purple. Flowering takes place in late spring or early summer. The small cup-shaped flowers, almost black-red in colour and less than 1 cm (1in) in diameter, emit a scent that is particularly noticeable at night. They are followed by the formation of a few round fruits, initially green and then almost black when ripe.

Hardy down to -7C°/-10°C, Pittosporum Bannow Bay requires well-drained, dry soil that is not too chalky, and a warm, sunny location protected from prevailing winds. It is preferable to grow it in a pot in areas with a very cold winter. In mild climates, it can be planted in rock gardens, as a standalone specimen near a pathway, or in a shrub border. In cold regions, it can be planted in a container on a terrace to enjoy its delicate fragrance.  Accompany it with perennial geraniums, lavenders, Euphorbia, red-leaved grasses (Panicum Sangria, Imperata Red Baron...), or combine it with the silver foliage of Artemisia.