Creeping coprosma

Botanical name: Coprosma perpusilla subsp. perpusilla
Synonyms: Coprosma pumila
Common name(s): Creeping coprosma

About:
Creeping coprosma is a tiny, mat-forming shrub that creeps across the ground and roots at its nodes, forming patches up to 60 cm or more across. It is one of New Zealand’s smallest coprosmas and is well adapted to exposed alpine and subalpine environments. Formerly included within the Tasmanian species Coprosma pumila, it is now recognised as a distinct New Zealand species.

Natural habitat:
Open alpine and subalpine habitats including herbfields, grasslands, fellfields, bog margins, damp hollows and rocky sites.

Growing environment:
Prefers cool, open situations with full sun and well-drained but moist soils. Tolerates frost, snow and periodic waterlogging.

Endemic distribution:
Endemic to New Zealand. Found throughout alpine and subalpine areas of both the North and South Islands, and on some offshore islands. Closely related subspecies occur on New Zealand’s subantarctic islands.

Height:
1–5 cm

Width:
30–60 cm or more

Flowering:
Summer

Fruiting:
Late summer to autumn

Uses:
• Alpine and rock gardens
• Groundcover for cool climates
• Native container plantings
• Revegetation of alpine and subalpine habitats

Appearance:
A dwarf, creeping shrub with slender stems that spread across the ground and root where they touch the soil. Branches are hairless and form loose to dense mats. Leaves are opposite, erect and crowded on short shoots, lanceolate to ovate, 3–7 mm long, fleshy and glossy green. They are hairless and often bear a small brown fleck near the base. Tiny stipules between the leaf bases carry a small tuft of hairs. Flowers are sessile and inconspicuous, greenish white to orange-yellow with red flecks. The fruits are ovoid drupes, yellow-orange to orange-red when ripe, usually containing four seeds.

Ecology:
The fleshy drupes are dispersed by birds (frugivory). The species forms low mats that help stabilise soils in exposed alpine environments and provide shelter for small invertebrates. It commonly grows in both wet and dry alpine habitats.

Associated habitats:
Alpine herbfields, tussock grasslands, fellfields, bog margins, snow tussock communities and rocky subalpine slopes.

How to grow:
Grow in full sun in a cool position with excellent drainage and regular moisture. It is ideal for alpine troughs, rock gardens or raised beds. Avoid hot, humid sites and prolonged drying out.

Propagation:
Easily propagated from seed, division or rooted stem sections. Cuttings taken from creeping stems root readily in moist, gritty media.

Cultural use:
Although no specific traditional Māori uses are recorded, creeping coprosma is an important component of New Zealand’s alpine flora and contributes to the diversity and resilience of high-country ecosystems.

Garden value:
An attractive and unusual native groundcover, valued for its tiny glossy leaves, creeping habit and colourful fruits. Its compact growth and tolerance of harsh conditions make it an excellent choice for alpine gardens, rockeries and collectors of New Zealand mountain plants.