Tarata

Scientific name: Pittosporum eugenioides
English name: Lemonwood

Pioneer Tree (10m - 15m) - native to the Wellington Region
Suits: damp, dry, partial shade, sunny, shelter, exposure, coastal forest garden, wetlands and water features

About Tarata

This attractive and well known tree is well marked from all other indigenous and exotic Pittosporums, by the yellow-green, mottled lanceolate leaves with a strong lemony smell when crushed and its highly fragrant clusters of attractive yellow-cream flowers in spring-early summer. Very attractive to bees.                                                                                               These are followed by small green capsules that take about a year to ripen turning hard and black. The seeds are immersed in dark yellow viscid pulp, that spread by sticking onto birds feathers. Growing to 12 metre tall and by 5 m wide, but usually much less with a pale grey bark and numerous branches with an erect spreading. the largest of the NZ Pittosporums. Tarata grows quickly and  works well as a solitary tree, in a shelterbelt or even as a hedge, making it one of the most attractive hedge species.

Most soils and water until established, dislikes dry conditions until well established. Frost tender when young, good on the coast as well inland where it can be protected when young, as it will withstand only light frost until 2m or more. Tarata proves more vigorous in moist coastal air with regular water. On the immediate coast it is an excellent problem solver for windy conditions and salt air. IN the wild its a common tree of regenerating and mature forest in coastal to montane situations.

A great tree for every garden.

Provides for birds