Pittosporum undulatum aka Australian Cheesewood

Pittosporum undulatum is an evergreen tree from Australia. Its native range includes New South Wales and Victoria. Plants For A Future also lists southeast Queensland and Tasmania. It belongs to the Pittosporaceae family. Common names include Australian laurel, cheesewood, and Victorian box. In the wild, it grows in sheltered sites and rainforests. Its year-round foliage makes it useful where a lasting screen is needed.

The tree grows fast and forms an oval or rounded crown. Its listed garden size is about 39 feet (12 metres) tall. It can spread to about 26 feet (8 metres) wide. This makes it a sizeable tree rather than a small shrub. It bears white flowers, and each flower has male and female organs. Moths and butterflies pollinate them. Plants For A Future gives May to July as the flowering season. Its separate summary places the bloom in spring.

Grow this tree in full sun or light shade. It suits the sunny edge of a woodland garden. It also grows in dappled shade. Choose soil of reasonable quality that drains well. Sandy and loamy soils suit it, as do dry or moist sites. It accepts mildly acid, neutral, and mildly alkaline soils. The tree also withstands coastal exposure. These traits support its use in exposed coastal gardens where winters stay mild.

Cold limits where it can grow outdoors in Britain. It suits only the mildest areas there. Plants For A Future reports tolerance down to about 23°F (−5°C). It lists USDA zones 9–11. Garden uses include screens, hedges, containers, and specimen trees. It can serve as a windbreak in mild coastal areas. The tree takes pruning well, even cuts into old wood. Its wood has been used to make golf clubs. The source also flags weed potential, without giving its extent.

Plants For A Future lists no known edible or medicinal uses. It gives both uses a rating of zero. The plant contains saponins, which can be toxic to people. The source notes that the body absorbs these compounds poorly. This does not establish the plant as safe to eat. Saponins can also harm fish. The supplied evidence names no specific pests or diseases for this species.