The Lemon(wood) Scent of Spring

                                Tarata/lemonwood (Pittosporum eugenoides)


In late September the tarata (Pittosporum eugenoides) or lemonwood tree
begins to flower. The flowers are not dramatic, but they are very fragrant, and worth picking for the scent they can give to an arrangement of scentless flowers. The shiny green leaves of the tarata also make a great frame for other flowers.

I don't know how to describe the scent - tarata flowers do not resemble any other scented flowers I know. Its leaves are supposed to smell of lemon when crushed, giving it the name lemonwood, but to my nose this is pushing it. The Pittosporum genus, according to J.T. Salmon in The Native Trees of New Zealand (p. 131) has 150 species, 26 of them endemic to New Zealand.  (Other sources say there are around 200 species in the genus.) Salmon and the other sources agree that the genus contains several notably fragrant trees.

These include the kohuhu (P. tenuifolium), which has tiny deep purple flowers which hide among the leaves, and give off a delicious 'dark' scent in late spring, as dusk falls. Kohuhu makes a doubly attractive hedge plant for this reason.  The karo (P. crassifolium) has slightly larger deep red flowers, also fragrant at dusk. However, South Island eco-gardeners will not plant this tree, as it is native to the North Island only, and has become a weed in some parts of the South Island where it is displacing local pittosporum species.

Across the ditch in eastern Australia is the very fragrant P. undulatum. It has much larger flowers than any of the NZ pittosporums, and they are white. It produces large orange fruits which are also attractive. Unfortunately those fruits mean that it spreads easily and has become a weed in parts of Australia, and in other countries. Also with white and very fragrant flowers is P. tobira, from Japan and China. This is the most common and popular garden pittosporum planted in the Northern Hemisphere.

The tarata can grow as tall as 12 metres, but most garden specimens I have seen are more like 7 or 8 metres. If you need a large evergreen tree barrier that grows quickly, with the bonus of spring scent, they are perfect. They also make fine evergreen specimen trees, with their pale bark contrasting beautifully with the shiny green leaves. Every Kiwi garden should have one!