Botanical name:

Coprosma spathulata

Common name(s):

About:

A bushy shrub with wide-angled twigs that bear pairs of rounded leaves, each attached by a long dark flattened leaf stalk, inhabits the northern region of the North Island. The tip of the leaf is often noticeably dented and covered with very small hairs that may require a lens to observe clearly. This fascinating plant also features a small dark tooth located on the stem between the bases of the leaves, adding to its unique characteristics.

A bushy shrub with wide-angled twigs that bear pairs of rounded leaves, each attached by a long dark flattened leaf stalk, inhabits the northern region of the North

Natural habitat:

Coastal to montane forest. Mostly in coastal to lowland forest. In the northern part of its range often associated with kauri and kauri-mixed hardwood forest. However it also grows in secondary regrowth under manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) and kahikatoa (Kunzea ericoides) and in scrub. It is also often found in alluvial and riparian forests.

Growing environment:

Shade, Wetland & Free draining tolerant.

Endemic distribution:

Confined to the North Island where it occurs from Te Paki south to Waitomo in the west and near Gisborne in the east

Height: 2m

Flowering:

June – October with a green or white coloured flower/s

Fruiting:

July – June with a dark red or black fruit.

Uses:

Bird food / Attractant, Bee food, Riparian plantings & Forests.

How to grow:

Easily grown from fresh seed and semi-hardwood cuttings. In cultivation it is often very slow, doing best planted in sheltered sites on free draining, moist soils under a taller shrub or tree canopy.

** Seed germinates without pre treatment. 4 weeks cold stratification will help speed this up though