Family: Pittosporaceae
Common Name: Sweet Bursaria, Prickly Box

Native to Australia, these shrubs or trees make lovely ornamental plants and are also useful as hedges. Most are rather spiny. Height is also variable: in alpine areas they are prostrate; in coastal river valleys they grow up to 10 m (33 ft) tall. Masses of fragrant, cream or white flowers appear in summer, followed by branched clusters of unusual, brown, heart-shaped seed pods.

Species

B. longisepala has crowded short leaves, with many slender spines, clusters of white, starry flowers and brown seed capsules. This species is shrub-like.

B. spinosa, sweet bursaria or native box, is found throughout Australia as either a thorny shrub or small tree, depending on its habitat. The leaves vary from small to 3-4 cm (1-1½ in) long, from leafy to leafless, from lightly spined to heavily spined. The dense panicles of highly perfumed, tiny, cream or white starry flowers look very pretty in summer. This is a useful and easily grown hedging plant.

Cultivation

These plants will adapt to most garden situations and soils. Propagate from the seeds contained in the papery pods or from 10 cm (4 in) long tip cuttings in autumn. Remove the leaves from the cuttings and dust with hormone powder. Both seeds and cuttings should be placed in a coarse sand and peat mix at the rate of 3:1.

Climate

Zone 8.