Coprosma rhamnoides

Scientific name: Coprosma rhamnoides
Maori name: Mingimingi
English name: Twiggy coprosma
Other names: Red fruited karamu

Pioneer Shrub - native to the Wellington Region
Suits: damp, dry, shade, partial shade, sunny, shelter, coastal forest garden, coastal and dune garden

About Coprosma rhamnoides

A small attractive dense tightly divaricating shrub with gorgeous ruby red looking fruit. Growing up to 1,5 metre with stiff reddish-brown barked branches and with very small paired leaves. Small pale cream flowers with sexes separate. So several plants are needed to ensure both sexes are available to produce the red fruit. These flowers are wind pollinated. The fleshy red fruits appears on the female plant in autumn and are eaten and dispersed by native birds like bellbird, and tui, reptiles and possibly native insects.

New growth can have a brown or grey look, giving it a interesting dead-like almost unattractive look. It is suggested that this may be a defensive growth mechanism to avoid browsing moa. C. rhamnoides can be well shaped if desired.

Provides for birds