Japanese mock orange (Pittosporum tobira): when and how to prune

Japanese mock orange (Pittosporum tobira): when to prune it?

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After flowering, in July, to keep it in shape. In April, cut out any frost damage.

What else to prune in those months? April · July

Japanese mock orange (Pittosporum tobira): how to prune it?

1. After flowering, cut off spent clusters and overlong shoots just above a whorl of leaves.
2. For a ball or a low hedge, clip it into shape in July; it soon fills out again.
3. In April, cut frozen brown shoots back to healthy green wood.
4. An old, leggy shrub can be cut back hard in spring: it usually reshoots from old wood.

How much to cut, and how often?

• There are 2 pruning periods a year: April and July. You don’t have to prune in every one.
• Prune in moderation: never remove more than about a third of the shrub at once.

What does it mean for wildlife?

• Pruning in April and July can fall in the nesting season (15 March–15 August). Check carefully for nesting birds first: disturbing an active nest is against the law.
• Japanese mock orange (Pittosporum tobira) flowers in May–June, when it attracts bees.
• Prunings can go on a dead hedge or brash pile in a corner of the garden: shelter for hedgehogs, wrens and insects.

Common mistakes

• Clipping without first checking for nesting birds.
• Leaving a stub or sawing flush with the trunk: cut just outside the branch collar.

Nearby: related pruning guides

• Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium)
• Barberry
• Blackthorn
• Bluebeard
• Butterfly bush
• Californian lilac

Plant profile: Japanese mock orange (Pittosporum tobira) · Pruning calendar and basic rules