Pittosporum bicolor aka Tallowwood

Pittosporum bicolor is a shrub or tree that stays green all year. It comes from the southeast of Australia. Its range takes in Tasmania and Victoria. It also grows in southeastern New South Wales. It belongs to the Pittosporaceae family. It grows in regions with a temperate climate. People call it Tasmanian whitewood, Victorian whitewood, and Victorian cheesewood. Records from Victoria also list Banyalla and Banalla. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Plants For A Future gives its main garden height as 16 feet [5 metres]. In mild British gardens, some reach 33 feet [10 metres]. Reports place wild plants at 46 feet [14 metres]. Both heights exceed the source's main garden height. The plant keeps its leaves all year. Its small flowers have a strong scent. Plants For A Future lists blooms from November to April. It also notes a long bloom season. Most blooms appear in spring. Those dates come from that source, not a local bloom record.

Grow this plant in soil that drains well. Sand, loam, and clay all suit it with good drainage. It takes soil that is mildly acid or mildly alkaline. Neutral soil suits it too. Give it sun, though it can take light shade. The soil may be dry or moist. Cold limits its outdoor range in Britain. At Kew Gardens, plants need shelter from winter cold. They fare better in mild southern and western coastal counties. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11. Young plants may need shelter through their first winter outdoors.

In warm British gardens, it can form a hedge that withstands wind. It also suits a sunny woodland edge or dappled shade. It takes pruning, even hard cuts into old wood. Settlers in Australia made axe handles and billiard cues from its wood. Aboriginal people in Tasmania made clubs called waddies from it. Plants For A Future lists no known food uses. It lists no known medicinal uses either. The supplied evidence does not show whether this species is toxic.

Grow new plants from seed or cuttings. Sow seed in a warm greenhouse in autumn or late winter. Reports say that seed sprouts well. Once seedlings have grown well, move them to a cold frame. Plant them outdoors late in the next spring. You can also use half-ripe cuttings with a heel. Success with these cuttings varies. Take ripe basal cuttings in late autumn.