Family Pittosporaceae.
Originating from New Zealand.
Received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit,
- Abundant, cool grey-green leaves have ivory-white variegated margins borne on black stems.
- Tiny black/purple flowers fill the air with a sweet scent in spring/summer.
- An easy-to-grow large shrub thriving in well-drained soil in full sun or part shade.
Kohuhu ‘Silver Queen’ in Your Garden
Voluminous clouds of soothingly cool leaves are borne on black stems which perfectly set off their bright colours. This chic slender framework can be trimmed as a hedge and even topiaried. In summer, tiny dusky purple-black flowers fill the air with a sweet, musky-honey-like scent, wafting some distance.
Growing naturally, it develops a billowing crown, reaching 4m high and 2.5m wide in 10–20 years. Hardy in southern and coastal UK gardens, it requires a sheltered spot in central and northern locations. One of the best variegated coastal evergreen shrubs available, it thrives in Norfolk and Suffolk’s maritime climates.
Silver Queen is adaptable to all styles, from gravel seaside gardens to contemporary terraces and traditional English city courtyards. Perfect for utilitarian roles such as screening, it also brings an elegant, year-round, ornamental presence to any garden.
Growing Tips for Your Silver Queen
- Soil and Sun: Plant in any well-drained soil; full sun yields the densest, brightest foliage.
- Planting: Set in spring or autumn; summer planting requires extra attention to watering. Plunge for 20 minutes to drench the root ball before planting. Do not add compost or improvers to soil.
- Watering: Moderate; tolerates dry spells once established. Water regularly in its first summer whilst rooting out.
- Pruning: Ensure successive seasons of flowering by lightly trimming large specimen plants after flowering. Shape hedging or topiary plants in late March. Regular pruning may be at the expense of flowering.
At Urban Jungle, we recommend Pittosporum tenuifolium varieties for every garden; they are indispensable. ‘Silver Queen’ is one of the best, a variegated coastal evergreen shrub with an exceptional range of attributes. From its baseline ‘good doer’ reliability, adaptability, evergreen, handsomely marked foliage, and scented flowers, it is a proven winner.
Planting Ideas for Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Silver Queen’
Celebrate the ‘Silver Queen’s bright crown of foliage. Dramatise it alongside Sambucus ‘Eva’ and ‘Black Tower’, Pittosporum tobira, and Magnolia grandiflora ‘Exmouth’. Their dark foliage contrasts with its silvery leaves, pushing it into the spotlight amongst a tall back-of-border spectacle. Add Crinodendron ‘Ashmount’, Nandina ‘Flirt’, Pines ‘Sayonara’, and ‘Smidtii’ to middle and front-of-border positions to further elevate the ‘Silver Queen’.
The Silver Kohuhu, as it is called in Maori, can form dense clipped hedges and topiary shapes. Alternatively, less-manicured mounds and organic, undulating features are possible. Pittosporum ‘Wrinkled Blue’, ‘Irene Patterson’, ‘Cratus’, and ‘Garnettii’ are other Kohuhus suitable for trimming, with bright foliage. Compose their bright forms and add mound-forming Pittosporum ‘Tom Thumb’, ‘County Park Green’, and ‘Gold Star’ for dark contrast.
