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Coprosma repens 'Pink Splendor' (Mirror Bush) - This is a dense, mounding, evergreen shrub to 6-8 feet tall by about 6 feet wide featuring very glossy leaves in shades of green, yellow, and pink with the best color in winter months. Although it has been reported that this plant has inconspicuous flowers in spring we have never seen this. Some sources report that this is a female clone with small orange fruit produced in summer months, but this too has not been confirmed and in fact this plant may be a male selection that produces no berries.
Plant in full sun to light shade. It withstands coastal winds and salt spray and therefore is an excellent shrub for coastal plantings. It is useful as a colorful evergreen shrub for hedge or screen and as a container subject. It is hardy to 20 degrees F.
The species was originally first encountered by Daniel Solander and Joseph Banks on the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand in 1769 while on James Cooks first expedition on the HMS Endeavour. It was found growing on coastal rocks, cliffs, coastal forests throughout North Island and along the west coast of South Island as well as on the Kermadec and Three Kings Islands. The name for the genus comes from the Greek words 'kopros' meaning "dung" and 'osme' meaning "smell" in reference to the foul cabbage like smell produced by methanethiol that is given out when the leaves of some species are crushed. The specific epithet means creeping. Other common names included Taupata, Looking-glass Bush, Shiny Leaf and New Zealand Laurel, a name it shares this with Corynocarpus laevigatus. We grew this plant from 1999 until 2010.
Information displayed on this page about Coprosma repens 'Pink Splendor' is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.
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