pittosporum

noun

pit·​tos·​po·​rum pə-ˈtä-spə-rəm How to pronounce pittosporum (audio)
: any of various Old World shrubs or trees (genus Pittosporum of the family Pittosporaceae) planted especially as ornamentals in warm regions

Examples of pittosporum in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Then add the variegated pittosporum, and place trailing ivy on one side for a modern, asymmetrical look. 02 10-Minute Votives Collect a bunch of mini pumpkins from your grocery store for a low-price, high-impact decorating choice. Katherine Owen, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2023 That wreath, according to the Buckingham Palace, included white roses, spray white roses, white dahlias, as well as a selection of foliage, including pine from the gardens at Balmoral and pittosporum, lavender and rosemary from the gardens at Windsor. Norman Vanamee, Town & Country, 19 Sep. 2022 The wreath includes white roses, spray white roses, white dahlias as well as foliage including pine from the gardens of Balmoral and pittosporum, lavender and rosemary from the gardens at Windsor. Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 16 Sep. 2022 Crawford’s wife, Jenny, of Branch Out Landscape Design, also in Carlsbad, added drought-tolerant plants to complement the house and deck, including red bougainvillea, plumeria, lomandra, asparagus foxtail ferns, agaves and pittosporum crassifolium. Nicole Sours Larson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2022 Wood-and-glass doors from the ’50s open onto the long roof, which is planted with small cherry trees, clematis and flowering shrubs including nandina and pittosporum. New York Times, 22 Sep. 2021 For a recap of the freeze damage, Texas lost large numbers of pittosporum, loropetalum, ligustrum, loquat, Chinese tallow and Arizona ash. Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 21 June 2021 That’s the Victorian box tree, pittosporum, popularized a hundred years ago. Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2021 Most major trees around North Texas made it through the cold snap fairly well (with some exceptions), but many shrubs are toast — Indian hawthorn, pittosporum, Japanese and wax ligustrum, Chinese fringe flower and agaves are pretty much wiped out. Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 29 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pittosporum.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek pitta, pissa pitch + spora seed — more at pitch, spore

First Known Use

1789, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pittosporum was in 1789

Dictionary Entries Near pittosporum

Cite this Entry

“Pittosporum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pittosporum. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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