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Friday - August 05, 2005

From: Atoka, OK
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Smarty Plants on Pittosporum
Answered by: Nan Hampton

QUESTION:

Need to know if "PITTOSPORUM" (TOBIRA VARIEGATA) will grow in my area of SE OK. I have purchased two of them and the nursery said that they would do great. Just needed an extra opinion. Thank you very much!

ANSWER:

Our interest and expertise is native plants of North America, and Variegated Pittosporum (Pittosporum tobira 'Variegata') is an introduced species from Eastern Asia, not a North American native. Information from the University of Connecticut Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Conservatory indicates that it is suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 9-11. Since you are in USDA Zone 7, you will need to protect it in cold weather.

 

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