Pittosporum tobira is a species of sweet-smelling flowering plant in the pittosporum family Pittosporaceae known by several common names, including Australian laurel, Japanese pittosporum, mock orange and Japanese cheesewood.
Native to Asia, especially in Japan, China, and Korea, Pittosporum tobira is a dense mounding evergreen shrub belonging to the Pittosporum family (Pittosporaceae). Despite its nativity to Asian countries, it has been naturalized in many other areas. It is used around the world as an ornamental plant for landscaping and in floriculture or flower farming for their inflorescences fragrant flowers. The name Japanese Pittosporum tobira is a reference to two aspects of the plant type. Pittosporum means resinous seeds and is a reference to the Mock Orange’s black seeds which are contained inside the fruits in resinous pulps. Tobira, on the other hand, is derived from the Japanese name of the fruit.