Tuesday 2 October 2018

Plant of the month October 2018

Coprosma rugosa
Family: Rubiaceae
Origin: New Zealand
Location: Australia/New Zealand
Accession: 2012

Coprosma rugosa, also known as the needle-leaved mountain coprosma, is a stiff erect evergreen shrub up to 3m tall. It has many interlacing wide-angled twigs bearing clusters of pairs of very narrow leaves. It forms extensive thickets in grasslands and forest margins in lowland to subalpine areas on moraines and river terraces. It has inconspicuous flowers followed by abundant small pale blue berries in autumn, the seed of which is widely dispersed by birds. It is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required) and is wind-pollinated. It is very hardy and suitable for hedging.

Thanks to Maggie Gowland for photographs.



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