Pittosporum ‘Hole In One’

Pittosporum 'Hole In One' (Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Hole In One') is the ball you do not have to clip. It settles at about 1m tall and 1m wide and holds that tight, rounded shape on its own, so a row looks deliberate without a hedging shear coming out. Small glossy leaves on fine dark stems give it a texture that suits formal beds, pots and low hedges.

Why you'll love it

• It shapes itself. The habit is naturally dense and rounded. A light tidy once a year keeps it sharp, and skipping a year does not ruin it.
• Predictable size. About 1m by 1m, small enough to plant under a window or along a path without a yearly argument about height.
• Tough where it counts. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established, salt tolerant and wind tolerant, so exposed and coastal blocks suit it.
• Roots that stay out of trouble. Non-invasive roots mean you can plant close to paving, paths and services.

Where it works best

Low hedging and edging. Plant 60cm apart for a continuous low hedge. At that spacing the balls merge into a soft green kerb in about two seasons.

Topiary and formal beds. Because the shape arrives for free, matched pairs at an entry give a formal look with a fraction of the clipping a box hedge demands.

Pots and small gardens. A 400mm or wider pot suits a single plant. In a courtyard or narrow front garden this is one of the few evergreens that stays genuinely small.

Growing Pittosporum 'Hole In One' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest ball, and it accepts part shade at the cost of some tightness. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, subtropical and Mediterranean gardens, and is frost hardy once established. In humid subtropical summers give it airflow rather than crowding it against a wall.

Soil. Any reasonable garden soil that drains. Heavy clay is the one real limitation, so plant on a raised mound with compost through the bed, and keep 75mm of mulch clear of the stem.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off as the roots go down. After two seasons it is genuinely low water, and a controlled release fertiliser in early spring is all it asks for.

Pruning. Optional. A light trim after the spring flush keeps the outline crisp. Avoid cutting hard into bare wood, because pittosporums are slow to reshoot from old timber.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: tube stock, and 140mm pots sold in packs of ten. Tubes are young single plants, ideal for a long low hedge if you are happy to wait an extra season. The 140mm pack is the practical choice for edging a bed or path, since ten plants at 60cm spacing cover six metres.

Neither size arrives as a finished ball. Expect a bushy young plant that rounds up over its first year or two, and slow, steady growth rather than a rush. Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The complete pittosporum care guide
• Compare plants for topiary and shaping
• Browse plants suited to small gardens
• Ivory Sheen Kohuhu for the same family at screening height

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a low hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row. Any tighter and the plants shade each other at the base, which is the one thing that opens gaps in an otherwise reliable hedge.

How much pruning does it really need?

Very little. The rounded habit is natural, so one light trim after the spring flush is enough. For a crisper surface, add a second light trim in late summer.

Will it stay at one metre?

In most gardens, yes. It is slow growing and settles around 1m by 1m. In a warm, rich, well watered bed it can push a little past that, and a light annual trim holds it where you want it.