Pittosporum tobira (Japanese "Wheeler's Dwarf")

According to the date stamp on the oldest photos, this plant was acquired in Nov. 2024. Don't remember where I got this plant or what I paid for it, although the nursery pot shows $10.50, so that's probably the acquisition cost. I do remember picking-up this plant & seeing the sharp 90 degree angle of the branch & thinking this might be a good candidate. 

After I got it home & was able to REALLY look at the plant, I discovered that it was actually 2 plants seemingly "welded" together. This happens in nature, but looking back from the perspective of time, I think it was more likely a grafting, gone awry.

With hardly no above-ground pruning necessary, he took well to root pruning & after I potted him in a training pot, he took center stage because he actually LOOKED sorta like a real Bonsai.

 From there, his road was all downhill..drooping leaves, yellowing & dying leaves..tried changing his soil & began researching different types of mixes..up until this time, I had just used commercial potting soil. Re-re-potted & the plant continued to struggle..

 After daily observation & head-scratching & watching this plant die, I decided we had nothing to lose..the conclusion that I came to, was that the old tree, which was surrounding the younger, was dying & taking his offspring with him..I gambled that (what I considered) major surgery might save the tree..so I used needle-point shears & a razor knife & cut-away the old trunk surrounding the inner-trunk, which already had fully developed bark...it worked!!

He immediately began showing signs of recovery..standing-up straight, color came back into the leaves,  he regrew a new canopy. He has regained his place on my patio wall. 

Nov 1, 2025 

Today marks one year since I acquired the Pittosporum, so today is as good as any, I declare today his birthday...Happy Birthday!

Dec. 26, 2025

'the Pittosporum Endures' as a central tree in the collection. Re-potted in what I hope will be his permanent home, he seems happy, healthy & hopefully will remain so

Dec. 2025

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