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Common Name: Mirror Plant

General Information

Coprosma repens is an evergreen shrub that can grow up to 2.00 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

New Zealand.

Habitat

Coastal cliffs on North and South Islands, south to latitude 41°50' south[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	2.00 m
Pollinators	Wind
Self-fertile	No
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Requires a moist, very well-drained neutral to slightly acid soil in full sun or light shade[]. Succeeds in most soils[].
Somewhat intolerant of frost, this species is only likely to succeed outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[, ]. The purple-leafed forms are somewhat hardier and have succeeded outdoors in a sheltered spot in an Essex garden[].
There are several named forms, selected for their ornamental value[, ].
Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[, ].
Plants are tolerant of heavy clipping or pruning[].
Plants are normally dioecious, though in some species the plants produce a few flowers of the opposite sex before the main flowering and a few hermaphrodite flowers are sometimes produced[]. Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required.

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[]. Sweet, but not much flavour[]. The orange fruit is about 10mm in diameter[].
The roasted seed is a coffee substitute[, ]. It is said to make an excellent coffee, though the seeds are rather small[].

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

A yellow dye is obtained from the wood, it does not require a mordant[].

Propagation

Seed - probably best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame[]. Sow stored seed in spring in a cold frame[]. Germination can be slow, often taking more than 12 months even when fresh seed is used[]. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick them out into individual pots. Grow on the plants for at least their first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer. Give the plants some protection from the cold for their first winter outdoors[].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, autumn in a frame.