About Coprosma repens A.Rich.
Coprosma repens A.Rich. is a plant species whose growth habit changes significantly based on its growing location. In exposed sites like cliffs, it grows prostrate, while in more sheltered areas it can develop into a small tree reaching up to 8 metres tall. Its leaves are thick, very glossy, and vary considerably in size according to exposure to the elements. Leaf margins are recurved, sometimes enough to make the leaf cylindrical in cross-section; the shiny leaves help the species survive near coastal locations. C. repens is dioecious. It produces flowers in spring and summer: male flowers grow in dense, compound clusters, while female flowers grow in smaller clusters. Male flowers have a funnel-shaped corolla 5 mm long, with lobes equal in length to the corolla tube. Female flowers have a short calyx, and a tubular corolla 3 mm long, with lobes shorter than the corolla tube. Female plants produce orange-red ovoid drupes, measuring approximately 8 mm in diameter and 10 mm in length. This species is native to the North Island, South Island, Kermadec Islands and Three Kings Islands of New Zealand. It has become naturalised in coastal areas of Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania in Australia, where it is now classified as an environmental weed. C. repens has long been popular for coastal gardens because it resists salt spray. While it prefers well-drained sandy soils, it can also grow successfully in heavier soils. A large number of cultivars have been developed: 'Coffee Cream' has creamy yellow leaf margins; 'Coppershine' has foliage with a copper-bronze tinge; 'Evening Glow' has golden foliage that changes to rich orange and pink-red shades in autumn and winter; 'Marble Chips' has leaves with white margins and speckles; 'Picturata' has leaves with a golden central area; 'Pink Splendour' has leaves with pink and maroon shaded margins; 'Rainbow Surprise' is a small cultivar with small pink and yellow-green leaves; 'Taupata Gold' has cream leaves with green centres; 'Variegata' has leaves with a creamy-white margin; 'Yvonne' is a compact form with dark-green leaves. The cultivars 'Marble Queen' and 'Picturata' have earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, confirmed in 2017.
