Pittosporum tenuifolium Golden Ball - Kohuhu

Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Golden Ball', a natural mutation of the cultivar 'Golf Ball', is a variety of Pittosporum with particularly compact and bright foliage. On this small round and dense bush, young leaves tinged with yellow and mature leaves of acidic green coexist, shining under the sun. More decorative than boxwood and less susceptible to diseases, it is decorative all year round, tolerates pruning well, and offers a discreet flowering in late spring, exhaling a honey scent in the evening. Its only weak point is a limited hardiness, which limits its cultivation in open ground to mild regions. Plant it in a sunny rock garden, invite it to a dry garden, it tolerates summer drought and limestone soils well. In colder regions, expose it in a large pot on the terrace or balcony, to be stored in cold climates.

Pittosporum tenuifolium, from the Pittosporaceae family, is native to dry regions located east of the New Zealand Alps. The 'Golden Ball' cultivar, obtained in New Zealand in 2008, is directly derived from 'Golf Ball', with the same globular and very compact habit.

Of fairly fast growth, it forms in a few seasons a dense and stocky bush measuring 50 to 80cm (19.7 - 31.5in) in all directions, sometimes up to 1m. Its highly branched stems bear leaves that persist all year round, even in winter. They are born yellow with green margins, then gradually turn into a particularly light and bright green, creating an interesting contrast on the scale of the bush. They are alternate, entire, ovate, thick, very glossy, leathery, with smooth edges. They are small, not exceeding 3 to 3.5cm (1.2 - 1.4in) in length and 1.5cm (0.6in) in width. Flowering occurs in late spring or early summer. The small dark cup-shaped flowers, less than 1cm (0.4in) in diameter, release a scent especially noticeable at night. They are followed by the formation of a few round fruits, initially green and then almost black when ripe. After a somewhat harsh winter that will destroy all or part of the vegetation, the plant can regrow from the stump or base of the branches, after more or less severe pruning depending on the case.

Hardy down to -7°C/-10°C (14 °F), Pittosporum 'Golden Ball' requires a very well-drained soil, a warm, sunny location protected from prevailing winds. In mild climates, it can be planted in a rock garden or at the edge of a flower bed. In a dry garden, it can be paired with Cistus, lavender, oregano, or thyme. In cold regions, it can be placed in a container on a terrace to enjoy its delicate fragrance and rounded charm. This variety, just like boxwood, can also form a neat little hedge and is suitable for topiary art, but it has the advantage of being disease-free, unlike the latter, which is decimated in certain regions. Pair it with fuchsias or shrubby salvias, Prostanthera, Westringia, Grevilleas, compact Escallonias, or combine it with the silver foliage of Artemisias and cotton lavenders.