Sweet Pittosporum Pittosporum undulatum

Origin: East Gippsland, NSW & QLD
Size: 4-15m H, 4-7m W
Fruit: April to August
Flowers: August to November
Removal time: Late Winter to Summer

What it does…
Sweet Pittosporum has a dense canopy that shades the
ground and drops lots of leaves. A chemical inhibitor
in the leaves prevents indigenous plants from growing
beneath. It has contributed to changes in lizard and
bird populations by reducing habitat for these species.
It is also fire sensitive and the leaves are very flammable.
Sweet Pittosporum establishes very quickly and starves
surrounding plants of nutrients, water and sunlight.

What it looks like…
Leaves usually sit horizontally. Leaves are aromatic,
glossy dark green and paler underneath with an
undulating edge. Flowers are creamy-white and bell
shaped with a sweet fragrance. The fruit are hard
berries or capsules, green turning orange when ripe in
autumn and winter. When they split they expose 20-30
sticky orange-red seeds.

Remove by Hand: Hand removal is only
recommended for very small plants, ensure
the root system is removed and the disturbed
area is covered over with mulch to reduce
spread of other weeds.
Cut & Paint: Cut plants off at ground level
and immediately paint the stump with an
undiluted glyphosate based product. This is
useful for larger seedlings that are too hard
to hand pull but should not be attempted on
trees with trunks greater than 50 mm as they
are likely to resprout.

Drill & Fill: Drill holes 2-3 cm deep and
about 5 cm apart, at the base of the trunk.
Fill the hole immediately with an undiluted
glyphosate-based product. This technique
should be used for plants greater than 50
mm in diameter. Best done in active growth
stage which is late spring and mid autumn.
Preference should be given to female plants.

https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/files/assets/public/webdocuments/environment-engineering/parks-environment/environment-parks-environment/sweet_pittosporum_web.pdf