Dwarf Japanese Mock Orange

Dwarf Japanese Mock Orange (Pittosporum tobira 'Miss Muffet') is the low hedge you plant once and then largely forget. It forms a tight mound about 800mm tall and 1m wide with glossy dark green leaves, and in spring it carries small cream flowers with a clear orange blossom scent.

Why you'll love it

• It stays low without being cut. A neat 800mm dome is the plant's own shape, not something you impose.
• Fragrance in spring. An orange blossom scent that carries along a path or driveway edge.
• Coastal and drought tolerant. Salt and heat tolerant, and happy on low water once established, where buxus struggles.
• Frost hardy. Unlike most glossy leaved formal hedges it comes through cold winters.
• Dense to the ground. It branches low and holds foliage at the base, so an edging run never goes leggy.

Where it works best

Low hedging and edging. Plant 60cm apart in a single row. The plants knit within two seasons and hold a clean 600mm to 800mm line.

Mass planting. 60cm to 80cm apart in a staggered grid gives an even surface with no bare soil.

Pots and small gardens. A pair either side of an entry is a classic use, and it holds its dome in a container.

Growing Dwarf Japanese Mock Orange in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with sun giving the tightest growth and the most flower. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, so the tablelands, inland Victoria and Canberra are comfortable. Not the pick for the wet tropics, where constant humidity and heavy rain do not suit it.

Soil. Free draining matters more than fertility; sandy and loamy soils are ideal. On heavy clay, raise the row on a 200mm mound with compost and coarse sand in the backfill. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then taper off. After the second season it wants only a deep soak in a long dry spell. Slow release fertiliser in early spring is enough.

Pruning. One trim after flowering in late spring keeps the line crisp; a second light shear in late summer suits a formal hedge. It reshoots from old wood, so an overgrown plant can be cut back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

Six sizes are grown. Tubes are the economical choice for a long edging run and take three seasons to close. The 140mm pack of ten and 200mm pack of six are the usual middle ground. Single 300mm and 400mm plants give an established dome straight away, and a 100L specimen for an instant result or a large feature pot.

Small plants arrive compact and bushy, often only 150mm to 250mm high, normal for this variety. Some leaf drop in the first fortnight is nothing to worry about. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read our pittosporum care guide for planting and trimming.
• Compare our hedging plant range.
• See more low growing plants for borders.
• Browse the coastal and salt tolerant collection.

Common questions

How tall will it actually get?

About 800mm left alone. A single shear a year holds it at 500mm to 600mm with no loss of density.

Does it handle frost?

Yes. It is frost hardy and performs well in cool temperate districts, one reason to choose it over more tender glossy leaved hedges.

Is it the same plant as murraya mock orange?

No. Both are called mock orange for the scent, but murraya is a much larger shrub for tall hedging. This one stays under a metre.