Pittosporums

Pittosporums are the back bone to a lot of kiwi gardens and being a native to New Zealand they have the hardiness to survive the conditions thrown at them. This evergreen shrub doesn't require a lot of maintenance but gives great results. The name comes from Greek 'pitta' meaning pitch and 'sporum' meaning seed which refers to the sticky seeds that appear after the flowers. There are 200 species of Pittosporum many of which come from New Zealand. Pittosporums can be used as excellent stand alone feature plants, hedges, screens, windbreaks, shrubberies or topiary specimens. The highly ornamental, evergreen foliage almost always looks well groomed and is extremely tolerant of regular trimming.