Pittosporum is a tree, a long-term addition to the landscape. It's hardy across USDA zones 9 through 10, shrugs off deer and shrugs off dry spells. Its spring flowers are a modest draw for honeybees.
Pittosporum — the short answer
Pittosporum: grown in zones 9–10.
- USDA zones
- 9–10
- Manual horticultural correction (source not retained); NC State Extension and Missouri Botanical Garden, with the remaining rows from other published sources or Growable Ground compilation
Plant data: Growable Ground Plant Database, compiled from FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS and university Extension sources — each tile names its own row's source, because per-field provenance varies.
Score Pittosporum on your exact land.
Zone averages can't see the slope, soil, frost, and sun that decide whether pittosporum actually takes — and those shift from one yard to the next. Enter your address and we'll score pittosporum against your land's real conditions.
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What Pittosporum is
Pittosporum grows as a perennial and reaches around twelve feet at maturity. It blooms in spring. It's also deer-resistant.
How to grow Pittosporum
Pittosporum grows in USDA zones 9 through 10. Pittosporum prefers well-drained ground. It needs about 100 hours of winter chill, which is why climate matters as much as soil.
USDA Zones
9-10
USDA PHZM 2023
Soil pH
Data pending
Sun
Data pending
Growable Ground plant catalog
Drainage
well (dry spells)
Growable Ground plant catalog
Mature Height
12 ft
Growable Ground plant catalog
Chill Hours
100+
Winter hours below ~45°F it needs to fruit — too-mild winters can leave it bloom-shy.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Frost-Free Days
0+
The frost-free stretch it needs start to finish — short-season areas may need an indoor head start.
Growable Ground plant catalog
Plant it right
Set pittosporum in full sun with well-drained soil. Many fruit trees need a second variety nearby to pollinate — check before you plant just one.
Match the soil
Pull a soil test from your local Extension lab to confirm pH and drainage match pittosporum's needs before planting.
Water steadily
Keep the root zone evenly moist through establishment. A 2–3 inch mulch layer holds moisture without waterlogging.
Be patient, then harvest
Prune annually while the tree establishes; fruit trees reward patience with years of harvest. Local Extension guides publish per-cultivar bearing-age tables.
Where Pittosporum thrives
Pittosporum is hardy across USDA zones 9 through 10. Zone is only the starting point, though: the soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific land decide how well it actually does.
A USDA zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme winter minimum, so zones 9–10 spans average winter lows from 20°F to 40°F (USDA PHZM 2023). Across the 50 states and DC, that band covers none outright but splits 17 down the middle — and which side of that line your land sits on changes the answer.
Zones 9–10·Where Pittosporum growsOpen map →
This map is derived from the USDA ARS / PRISM Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023) and is not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
Where Pittosporum stands, state by state
Pittosporum is rated for zones 9–10 — a cold floor USDA puts at 20 to 30°F. Across the 50 states and DC, 0 sit fully inside that band, the line runs through 17 more, and 34 sit outside it — and inside every split state, the same line runs on at county grain.
The line runs through
17 states
- Alaska · zones 1a-9a
- California · zones 4b-11a
- Nevada · zones 4a-10a
3 of 17 shown
Pittosporum’s band covers part of each of these states — which side of the line your county sits on changes the answer, and each state page draws it.
State zone extents: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (PHZM) 2023. A zone is a 10°F band of average annual extreme minimum temperature, so a state that splits the band contains the boundary — its own page draws the county line, and a parcel report resolves which side your land sits on.
What grows around Pittosporum
Growing guides for pittosporum
In rotation planning, pittosporum counts as a Other — beds recover best when other crops don’t follow each other in the same spot year over year. (Growable Ground derivation — crop-rotation group from botanical family)
Related plants in shrub
Good to know
One caution for pet owners — pittosporum is toxic to dogs and cats (mild severity). Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Pittosporum offers low value to bees and other pollinators.
Your land is one point inside Pittosporum's range
This page resolves to the species. Your state page draws the county line, and a report reads the parcel — the soil pH, drainage, sun, and frost dates on your exact ground, which no species average can see.
See if Pittosporum will thrive on your land
Zone averages are a start. Your exact soil pH, drainage, sun exposure, and frost dates shape whether pittosporum actually takes — we score it against the real conditions at your address.
Three things about your exact spot that zone averages miss:
We read public map data for this spot — soil, climate, flood, and parcel records. How we handle your address.
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How we know this about Pittosporum
The figures above are cited per row, not per site: the pH band names this plant’s own source column, the three temperature figures each carry their own, and days-to-maturity cites the publication that actually lists it. All of it comes from the Growable Ground Plant Database — a compilation over FAO ECOCROP, USDA PLANTS, and university Extension sources, published openly with per-field provenance.
Grounded inUSDA PLANTS Database•USDA PHZM•ASPCA
Frequently asked questions
Can I grow Pittosporum in my zone?
Pittosporum grows in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 10 (USDA PHZM 2023). Zone is one factor — soil pH, drainage, and frost dates on your specific parcel also shape whether it takes.
When should you plant Pittosporum?
Set pittosporum out in early spring or fall while it's dormant, so the roots establish before the heat of summer. Your local last-frost date — which a Growable Ground report pulls for your exact address — sets the precise window.
What soil does Pittosporum need?
Specific pH data for pittosporum is pending. It prefers well-drained ground. A soil test from your local Extension lab confirms what your site needs.
Does Pittosporum attract pollinators?
Yes — pittosporum's flowers are a modest nectar source for honeybees.
Is Pittosporum safe for pets?
Pittosporum is toxic to pets (dogs,cats) with mild severity. Keep it out of reach, and call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 in an emergency. (Source: ASPCA.)
Keep exploring Pittosporum
Pittosporum state by state
Every state pittosporum's zone reaches — 1 link straight to that state's pittosporum growing page; the rest open the state's full growing guide.