Stats

Lifespan

20-50 yrs

Size

Medium

Diet

Photosynthetic

Biome

Coastal forest

Range

East Asia

Movement

Sessile

Breeding

Seeds

Defense

Toxins

Status

Common

About

Japanese cheesewood is a small, fragrant shrub native to Japan, China, Taiwan, and Korea. Its leaves, flowers, and fruit are all edible, but the fruit is particularly prized for its sweet-smelling and creamy texture, reminiscent of aged cheese.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   seed

   A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2. 2.
   sprout

   A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3. 3.
   sapling

   A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4. 4.
   mature

   Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

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Taxonomy

Kingdom

Plantae

Phylum

Tracheophyta

Class

Magnoliopsida

Order

Apiales

Family

Pittosporaceae

Genus

Pittosporum

Species

Pittosporum tobira