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Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Variegatum' - Variegated Tawhiwhi
Key Features
- Plant Type: Hardy upright evergreen shrub
- Height: 4m
- Spread: 2m
- Flowering Period: May to June
- Flower Colour: Small white fragrant flowers with honey scent
- Foliage: Small rounded grey-green leaves with narrow creamy-white margins and wavy edges
- Hardiness: Hardy in the UK down to temperatures of -10 to -5 degrees Celcius (RHS hardiness rating H4)
- Growth Habit: Fast-growing, upright, dense, naturally rounded
Overview
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Variegatum' is a distinguished evergreen shrub that brings timeless elegance to gardens through its striking variegated foliage. This upright-growing New Zealand native showcases beautiful small, rounded, wavy-edged grey-green leaves narrowly margined with creamy-white that create a luminous, bright effect throughout all seasons. With its classic variegated beauty, fragrant flowering display, and exceptional garden versatility, this award-winning shrub provides year-round structural interest and sophisticated colour contrast to any garden setting.
Key Features
The outstanding feature of 'Variegatum' lies in its classic variegated foliage that creates a luminous effect throughout the year. The small, rounded, wavy-edged grey-green leaves are delicately outlined in cream, with this unusual colouration making the shrub truly stand out in the garden. The glossy, wavy-edged leaves create attractive light play and provide constant visual interest in both sunny and partially shaded locations. This hardy evergreen maintains its striking appearance even in challenging coastal conditions.
Growth Characteristics
This fast-growing shrub displays a naturally upright, rounded growth habit that makes it excellent for creating height and structure in garden designs. Mature plants typically reach 4-6 metres in height with a spread of 2-3 metres, developing into an attractive upright shrub with dense branching. The vigorous growth pattern, where the plant grows predominantly taller than it does wide, makes it ideal for screening, hedging, and creating garden backdrops whilst maintaining an elegant architectural presence.
Flowering and Fragrance
In late spring and early summer (May to June), 'Variegatum' produces small clusters of tiny white flowers that provide a delightful sensory experience. These inconspicuous yet fragrant blooms emit a sweet honey scent that fills the air with delightful perfume, enhancing the garden's appeal beyond the stunning foliage display. The chocolate-coloured flowers appear in the leaf axils and create a subtle but charming contrast against the variegated foliage.
Growing Conditions
This versatile shrub thrives in any reasonably fertile soil, performing well in sun or shade conditions. The glossy variegated leaves develop their best colouration in bright conditions, though the plant tolerates partial shade admirably. It adapts to acid, neutral, or alkaline soils provided drainage is adequate, making it suitable for a wide range of garden situations. Choose a sheltered position with south, east, or west aspect for optimal performance and protection from harsh winter conditions.
Hardiness and Climate Tolerance
'Variegatum' demonstrates exceptional hardiness, rated H4 by the RHS, withstanding temperatures down to -10 to -5 degrees Celsius in most UK locations. The shrub shows remarkable coastal tolerance, withstanding salt spray and maritime winds whilst maintaining its attractive variegated foliage throughout the year. However, it requires shelter from cold winds and should be positioned away from waterlogged ground for optimal performance.
Care and Maintenance
This low-maintenance shrub requires minimal care once established. Water regularly during establishment and dry periods to ensure the foliage gives of its best, though it becomes drought resistant once mature. Mulch with compost in early spring to provide nutrients and retain moisture, and apply balanced fertiliser in spring to support healthy growth and enhance the variegated foliage colour. No pruning is required, but trim as needed from spring to mid-summer to maintain desired size and shape.
Garden Applications
'Variegatum' excels in numerous garden roles, making it an exceptionally versatile choice. As a specimen planting, it creates outstanding focal points where the luminous variegated foliage and upright form can be fully appreciated. In mixed borders, it provides year-round structure and colour contrast, creating a striking backdrop for seasonal flowers whilst maintaining consistent architectural interest. The fast growth rate and dense foliage make it excellent for hedge and screen plantings, establishing effective garden boundaries with added ornamental value.
Container Growing
This shrub adapts well to large container cultivation, making it perfect for patios and formal arrangements. The upright growth habit provides excellent vertical interest in pot displays, whilst the variegated foliage adds sophisticated colour and texture to container gardens. Regular watering and feeding are essential for container-grown specimens to maintain their luminous appearance.
Seasonal Interest
Throughout spring, new growth emerges with fresh, vibrant variegation as the plant enters its active growing phase, complemented by the fragrant white flowers in late spring. Summer brings consistent architectural interest as the glossy variegated foliage maintains its luminous effect, serving as an excellent backdrop for other flowering plants. The evergreen nature ensures continued structural interest as other plants fade in autumn, with the cream-edged foliage becoming even more prominent. Winter reliability is guaranteed as the hardy evergreen foliage provides year-round garden structure when many other plants are dormant.
Award Recognition
This exceptional variety has earned RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM) recognition, confirming its outstanding ornamental value and reliable performance in UK gardens. This prestigious award acknowledges the plant's exceptional garden merit and dependable characteristics.
Why Choose 'Variegatum'?
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Variegatum' represents the perfect combination of classic variegated beauty, reliable growth performance, and exceptional garden versatility. The luminous cream-edged foliage provides year-round interest, combined with fragrant flowers, excellent coastal tolerance, and award-winning recognition. Whether used for specimen plantings, hedging, screening, or mixed border features, this outstanding shrub delivers maximum garden impact with proven reliability and timeless appeal that makes it an essential addition to any garden seeking sophisticated colour interest and permanent structural beauty.
Buying Shrubs from Jacksons Nurseries
At Jacksons Nurseries we sell a variety of shrubs both evergreen and deciduous with a variety of flowering times throughout the year. At certain times of the year our shrubs you buy from us may not look like the images shown on our website when deciduous leaves have fallen, the shrub has finished flowering or has been trimmed back.
Some leaves on evergreen shrubs can be damaged in winter by frost or harsh winds but in spring new leaves will readily replace those damaged. This is quite normal on many evergreen varieties and is preferable to plants grown with excessive protection that show cold shock once planted out and establish less satisfactory initially.
Availability: Stock availability figures are provided as a guide only. There is a delay between orders being placed and the plants being gathered by our pulling team. During this time it may be possible for a member of the public to purchase these plants from our Garden Centre, while this is rare it is a possibility and we will notify you of any problems as soon as possible. This figure may also include plants that have not yet be flagged as unsaleable.
Pre-order: Pre-order times are given as a guide only and may vary dependent on the growing season. Orders containing Pre-ordered products will be shipped as a single order when all items become available. Large orders may be part shipped, please contact us on 01782 502741 or email sales@jacksonsnurseries.co.uk.
* Please Note: Shrubs in 20 litre pots and above might require a pallet delivery starting at £79.99 per pallet. Depending on the exact pot size and height it may be possible to get approximately 5 plants per pallet at no extra cost. The maximum height we can dispatch on a pallet is 2.0m, this includes the height of the pallet and pot.
Shrubs are deciduous or evergreen woody plants, and often provide fragrant flowers, berries and foliage. They are good for structural framework, and they can provide a wonderful shelter and food source for wildlife.
Planting and Conditions
Container grown shrubs can be grown at any time of year. It is a little known fact that shrubs planted in the autumn and winter will be easier to look after than those planted in the spring and summer, because they will have time to establish and become hardy in the cooler months.
Plant the shrub at the same depth as it was in its original pot. Planting too deeply can result in root and stem rot.
One of the biggest causes of death in new shrubs is drought stress, so keep it well watered until it’s established.
Make sure you loosen the soil prior to planting. Most shrubs are tolerant of most soil types as long as it is fairly well draining.
Most shrubs will grow happily in containers, but they will be much more demanding on feeding and watering than shrubs in the ground would be. They will also need potting on every couple of years so that they don’t suffocate or become stunted in their pot.
Aftercare and Pruning
Once established, shrubs generally do not require much water. However, at first they need careful, frequent watering and should not be left to dry out.
Shrubs in the ground are generally not demanding and in most cases, annual feeding with general purpose fertilizer will suffice. Shrubs in containers may need more feeding; usually from early spring until late summer.
Shrubs also benefit from mulching in order to supress weeds, conserve moisture and provide vital nutrients. Mulch also greatly improves soil conditions. Shrubs can be mulched in late winter, after fertiliser has been applied, but it can be mulched through autumn to late spring as long as the ground is damp.
All shrubs benefit from dead-heading once spent flowers become apparent. Rhododendrons and Lilac especially benefit from the removal of dead flowers.
Some shrubs may show signs of reverted growth or ‘sporting’. This is where random shoots of different leaves associated with the plant’s parentage begin to appear. Most commonly this is where plants with variegated leaves sprout pure green growths instead of variegated ones.
To control reversion, remove reverted shoots promptly to discourage them. Reverted shoots are usually much more vigorous than the variegated ones, and thus should be completely pruned out and cut back into wood containing variegated foliage.
Potential Issues
Although shrubs are usually very robust garden plants, they can sometimes start to decline with no apparent or obvious reason.
This will start with browning leaves, which could indicate plant stress due to lack of water or waterlogging, an establishment failure or, in the worst case scenario, honey fungus. Another cause of leaf browning is a high salt content in the soil. This could be a natural occurrence, especially if you live near the ocean, or it could be from over fertilisation.
To remedy a high salt content, cut back on fertiliser and step up your watering regime for the next few weeks. If you live by the ocean, this will be harder to remedy—but stepping up your watering will help to wash some of the salt away all the same.
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