Pittosporum tenuifolium - 'Beach Ball Kohuhu'

The 'Beach Ball' is a variant of the Kohuhu ( a fast growing evergreen that grows to 20 to 30 feet) and is  much smaller (3'-4') w/ glossy medium-green leaves on dark stems. Native to New Zealand, this plant was first introduced to California in 1865. This plant has since naturalized in California & Australia

Largely. indifferent to soil types, if well-drained; thrives in full-sun to partial shade; requires low-to-moderate water; often pruned in a spherical shape. Seaside tolerant, hardy to 15-20 ° F, does particularly well in cooler coastal gardens.


The Latin word pittosporum means sticky seeds & this plant was used by the Moari for resins, which are mixed with oils, for medicinal purposes. Today, this cultivar is primarily used as ornamental shrubs or hedges.

Acquisition: March 2026; Home & Garden Center; Cost: $10.00 (50% off)

I cannot figure out why this plant was on the 50% Off table..I've had him for close to 3 weeks now & I purposely let this plant 'sit in the corner" for awhile to see if I could identify his problem. He appears healthy..leaves have "greened-up"..as a test I lightly pruned some juvenile branches & they are back-budding, as expected. 

I'm going to continue on a conservative approach to curating this specimen, using "pinch & grow" to try & fill-out the foliage and repot him into a training pot.

May 7, 2026
'Kohuhu' responded to the minor pruning yesterday, as if he had been waiting for someone to pay attention to him. I counted 22 fresh, new, bright-green buds, even though I only pruned 1/2 dozen. (pic below)
I also took advantage of the opportunity to put him into a training pot. Although I would rate the root pruning as minimal, it required me to remove almost all of the potting mix, which is something I try not to do on the 1st re-pot. All seems to be going well though I did remove the tap root, while I had the chance..beyond that, minor root prune (just to even out growth).

I have no "master plan" for this little tree, but he has already shown that he is viable & willing, given the barest necessities. For now, I will just continue to provide his needs & see how he looks in a month or two.








June 2026
The Kohuhu seems settled-into his new surroundings & seems to have found them to his liking. Tip pruning has produced back-budding & I have decided to prune-back the major branches..this will reduce his "legginess" & perhaps suggest just what this little tree wants to do, in terms of topside growth.

With the nickname "Beach Ball" it is reasonable to assume that, with a little nudge here & there, his canopy will probably assume a rounded shape, over time.

For now, it's 'watchful-waiting' as he continues to grow & reveals his "inner tree"..






Sept 8, 2026
The Kohuhu had a good summer so far, filling out & growing new branches & developing a curved trunk that I think will probably become a permanent feature of this tree. 

Back-budding has restored much of the foliage & is a promise of what is to come. He has thrived in 4-6 hours/day of direct sun & our July-Aug heat has not phased him.










The foliage is now assuming the classical shape & glossy-green that characterizes the Pittosporum. (compare to Wheeler's Dwarf )

I'm hoping that the leaves do not grow much larger than they are now..one of the problems with dwarf or miniatures trees is that they retain larger leaf sizes which are out of scale with the rest of the plant.

I will continue the same regimen for this plant going forward as he obviously happy here, on the patio.