Practical
Plants

Coprosma pumila

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Coprosma genus in the family Rubiaceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Rubiaceae
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
0.08 m
Fertility
Self sterile, Wind
Flower type
dioecious
Pollinators
Wind

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet, but with little flavour[3]. The orange-red fleshy fruit is about 7mm in diameter, though forms with fruits up to 13mm have been seen[3]. The roasted seed is an excellent coffee substitute[1].

Product or use
Coffee
Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

A yellow dye is obtained from the wood, it does not require a mordant[1].

Product or use
Dye

Environment

Range
Australia, New Zealand.
Habitat
Higher montane to sub-alpine grassland, North, South and Stewart Islands[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 7+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - probably best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame[K]. Sow stored seed in spring in a cold frame[2]. Germination can be slow, often taking more than 12 months even when fresh seed is used[K]. 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[K]. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, autumn in a frame.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a moist, very well-drained neutral to slightly acid soil in full sun or light shade[2]. Prefers a permanent moist and peaty soil, but it is not an easy plant to grow in Britain[3]. Somewhat intolerant of frost, this species is only likely to succeed outdoors in the milder areas of Britain[2]. Another report says that it is fully hardy in Britain[3]. Closely related to C. atropurpurea and often confused with that species[3]. It is a very variable plant, hybridizing freely with other members of this genus[2][3]. 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[3]. Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required. There is some confusion over the correct name of this species, it could be a part of C. petriei[2].

References

  1. Brooker. S. G., Cambie. R. C. and Cooper. R. C. Economic Native Plants of New Zealand. Oxford University Press 1991-00-00 ISBN 0-19-558229-2

    ↩1↩2

  2. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5

  3. Knees. S. The New Plantsman. Volume 2, 1995. Royal Horticultural Society 1995-00-00 ISBN 1352-4186

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7

  4. Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961-00-00

    ↩

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