Kohukohu, kōwhiwhi, rautāwhiri
Pittosporum tenuifolium Black matipo | Kōhūhū

This guide is based on a literature review. It compiles information from various sources. Different sources may offer varying advice and findings.
Variations are found with seed viability and the time frame from sowing to germination. Uncertainty found with long-term storage.
Hard.
Found widespread throughout the North and South Islands.(1)
Seeds dry stored for 4 months took up to 8 months to germinate.(4)
77% of fresh seeds are viable.(3)
Faster growth rate under shaded environment (16% daylight).(6)
Germination, seed storage, and vegetative propagation need further investigation.
Information about the native seed profiles
All species names are in the following order: scientific name, common name, and Māori name. Names may vary by region. We have tried to use the most common names across New Zealand.
We have sourced photos from different websites and creators. We have used the images under different licences. These include Public Domain and Creative Commons licenses. For Pittosporum tenuifolium, the image details are:
- Photo by (c) Jon Sullivan – some rights reserved (CC BY)
- Original image
The basis for each seed profile is a literature review carried out by Scion. Te Uru Rākau – New Zealand Forest Service commissioned and worked on the review to produce a native seed catalogue. The full seed catalogue is on the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) website.
References
Kai, Y; Alfaro Pinto, A; Clavijo McCormick, A; Nadarajan, J; He, X Z; MacKay, M; McGill C (2023) Seed desiccation sensitivity varies with geographic distribution in two New Zealand native Pittosporum species. Seeds 2, 370–381.
Dodd, M B; Power, I L (2007) Direct seeding of indigenous tree and shrub species into New Zealand hill country pasture. Ecological Management and Restoration 8(1), 49–55.
Moore, S; Bannister, P; Jameson P E (1994) The effects of low temperatures on seed germination of some New Zealand species of Pittosporum. New Zealand Journal of Botany 32, 483–485.
Metcalf, L J (1995) The propagation of New Zealand native plants. Godwit; Auckland, New Zealand.
New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Pittosporum tenuifolium. Accessed 17 October 2024.
Williams, P A; Buxton, R P (1989) Response to reduced irradiance of 15 species of native and adventive shrub and tree seedlings from Eastern Canterbury. New Zealand Journal of Ecology 12, 95–101.