Pittosporum Tenuifolium Abbotsbury Gold

Pittosporum Tenuifolium Abbotsbury Gold is prized for its unusually coloured, evergreen foliage. This columnar shrub with a low growing, spreading habit is often used for low hedging and borders, as it has dense, leathery foliage and doesn’t require much maintenance. 

The variegated foliage of Pittosporum Abbotsbury Gold provides this shrub with multiple seasons of interest. The leaves are leathery and undulate, pale yellow when young and medium green when mature. In late spring and early summer, this evergreen bush produces minuscule, honey-scented, dark purple blossoms. The flowers are barely noticeable, but give this upright shrub a pleasant fragrance.

This decorative evergreen bush thrives in full sunlight, and moist, well-drained soil. Although it can manage partial shade, this plant’s foliage won’t be as vivid and striking as it would be in a sunny spot. A New Zealand native, Pittosporum Abbotsbury Gold thrives in a mild climate. Despite being hardy through most of Britain and Ireland, it won’t survive when winter temperatures drop below -10 degrees. If planted in an area where temperatures are much lower in the winter, this shrub will need sheltering. Considering that it can be planted in a larger pot or container (in which case, soil based, nutrient-rich humus should be used), this plant can be moved to a location where cold, winter winds and frost won’t affect it.

This slow-growing bush can grow to be from 1.5 metres to 3 metres tall and 1 to 1.5 metres wide, and its bushy habit requires minimal pruning. Lightly trim it in early spring, pruning out damaged branches and shoots growing in undesirable directions. 

With its upright bushy habit and an attractive, evergreen leaves, Pittosporum Abbotsbury Gold works well as a specimen plant and in a mixed border. Since it’s tall and columnar and has dense foliage, it’s ideal for low growing hedges - the evergreen, leathery foliage is perfect for providing privacy. It’s also great as a background plant, especially if combined with flowering, evergreen shrubs as front row plants.