shrub
Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.
Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub hardy in zones 8–11. Expect 2–3 ft of height and 4–5 ft of spread; our lists space it 4 ft apart. It does best in full sun to part shade with average water. Expect white flowers in April to May. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer may browse it when other food is short, and it is not listed as toxic to dogs or cats.
Facts from our plant table
- Botanical name
- Pittosporum tobira 'Wheeler's Dwarf'
- Plant type
- Shrub, evergreen
- Hardiness zones
- 8 to 11
- Sun
- Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
- Water
- Medium
- Soil
- Needs good drainage; tolerates salt and sandy soil.
- Mature size
- 2–3 ft tall × 4–5 ft wide
- Spacing
- 4 ft apart (centre to centre)
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Apr–May · white
- Roles in a bed
- Structure
- Styles
- classic, modern
- Deer resistance
- Medium: browsed when deer are hungry
- Pets
- Not listed as toxic to dogs or cats. Japanese pittosporum is listed non-toxic to dogs and cats by the ASPCA.
- Native to
- Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
- Pot size and price
- 3-gallon pot, typically $25–$40 (easy to find)
- Plant in
- Spring or Fall
- First-year watering
- Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
- Pruning
- Rarely needs pruning; trim stray shoots after flowering.
Sources: UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions and EDIS fact sheets; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Texas A&M AgriLife deer-resistant landscape plant lists; state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.
Guides that include this plant
- What to plant in a full-sun bed in zone 9 (as a substitute)
Good companions
The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.
- Anise-scented sage 'Black and Blue'Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'perennial · zones 7–10
- Mexican bush sageSalvia leucanthaperennial · zones 8–11
- Cast iron plantAspidistra elatiorperennial · zones 7–11
- Dwarf mondo grass 'Nana'Ophiopogon japonicus 'Nana'groundcover · zones 7–10
- Holly fernCyrtomium falcatumfern · zones 7–10
- Sweet viburnumViburnum odoratissimum var. awabukishrub · zones 8–10
If you can't find it
Substitutes our engine offers for Dwarf pittosporum 'Wheeler's Dwarf': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.
- Distylium 'Vintage Jade'Distylium 'PIIDIST-I'zones 7–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Soft Caress mahonia 'Soft Caress'Mahonia eurybracteata 'Soft Caress'zones 7–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Walter's viburnum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'Viburnum obovatum 'Mrs. Schiller's Delight'zones 7–10 · not flagged toxic to pets
- Glossy abelia 'Kaleidoscope'Abelia × grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope'zones 6–9 · not flagged toxic to pets
How this page was made
This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.
Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.
Sources
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
- ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
- Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
- State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
- Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)
Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants