Coprosma dumosa
Broad-leaved Coprosma is a low-growing, spreading evergreen shrub reaching 1-3 meters tall with a naturally prostrate to mounding growth habit. This distinctive species has broad, oval leaves that are noticeably different from most other Coprosma species, and produces bright red to orange berries that create spectacular ground-level displays. Found throughout New Zealand's mountain and hill country areas, it forms dense mats that provide excellent ground cover and wildlife habitat. The spreading habit and colorful berries make it valuable for both erosion control and wildlife gardens among New Zealand's native shrubs
Image credit: Broad-leaved Coprosma (Coprosma dumosa). Wikipedia
| Scientific Name | Coprosma dumosa |
|---|---|
| Height | 1-3 meters |
| Spread | 2-4 meters |
| Water Needs | Low to moderate |
| Light | Full sun to partial shade |
| Frost Tolerance | High (hardy to -15°C) |
| Salt Tolerance | Moderate |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Lifespan | 40-80 years |
Broad-leaved Coprosma grows throughout New Zealand from coastal areas to 1500 meters elevation in hill country and mountain areas. It thrives in cooler climates with good drainage and tolerates exposed, windy conditions better than many natives. This hardy species is well-adapted to New Zealand's more challenging growing environments.
| City | Climate Suitability |
|---|---|
| Whangārei | Ideal |
| Auckland | Ideal |
| Hamilton | Ideal |
| Tauranga | Ideal |
| Rotorua | Ideal |
| Gisborne | Ideal |
| New Plymouth | Ideal |
| Napier | Ideal |
| Whanganui | Ideal |
| Palmerston North | Ideal |
| Wellington | Ideal |
| Nelson | Ideal |
| Christchurch | Ideal |
| Dunedin | Ideal |
| Invercargill | Moderate |
Broad-leaved Coprosma is very adaptable to soil conditions:
Broad-leaved Coprosma performs well in various light levels:
Broad-leaved Coprosma has excellent drought tolerance:
Broad-leaved Coprosma tolerates pruning well and can be managed for size:
Use sharp, clean tools and work carefully around the spreading branches. The prostrate habit makes this species suitable for regular trimming to maintain desired size.
Plant Broad-leaved Coprosma from spring through autumn when soil allows. This extremely hardy species establishes readily even in challenging conditions and poor weather.
Choose a site with:
Provide occasional watering during first year if conditions are very harsh. Broad-leaved Coprosma is one of the most self-sufficient natives once established.
Broad-leaved Coprosma propagates easily from the colorful berries:
Remember to grow both male and female plants for berry production - the spreading habit means you need fewer plants to cover an area.
Vegetative propagation is very successful:
The prostrate habit allows natural propagation:
Broad-leaved Coprosma has served as an important ground cover and wildlife plant in New Zealand's hill country and mountain environments:
Today, Broad-leaved Coprosma is increasingly popular for sustainable landscaping in challenging sites. Its combination of extreme hardiness, spreading habit, and wildlife value makes it ideal for extensive ground cover plantings and erosion control in both rural and urban environments.
Broad-leaved Coprosma's hardy nature and prostrate growth make it resistant to most pest and disease problems. Its robust constitution allows it to thrive with minimal intervention.
Use Broad-leaved Coprosma for challenging slopes where other ground covers fail. Its natural spreading habit and excellent drought tolerance make it perfect for extensive coverage with minimal maintenance. Plant in informal drifts and allow it to naturally merge with other low-growing natives. The bright berries at ground level create a unique feeding opportunity for ground-dwelling birds like fantails and robins.
Learn more about the cultural significance of native shrubs in Cultural Plants.
Successful cultivation of Coprosma dumosa requires understanding its natural spreading habit and creating conditions that provide excellent drainage, adequate space for expansion, and appropriate exposure to support its robust ground-covering growth pattern.
Broad-leaved Coprosma's natural adaptation to challenging New Zealand hill country and mountain environments demands cultivation conditions that honor its tolerance for harsh conditions while providing the space needed for its spreading growth habit.
Broad-leaved Coprosma rewards minimal intervention with decades of reliable ground cover performance, requiring only occasional management to direct its spreading habit and maintain desired coverage areas.
Coprosma dumosa represents one of New Zealand's most architecturally distinctive and functionally valuable native ground cover shrubs, demonstrating remarkable morphological adaptations to challenging environments through its spreading growth habit, distinctive foliage characteristics, and robust reproductive strategies.
This low-growing, spreading evergreen shrub typically reaches 1-3 meters in height while achieving impressive lateral spread of 2-4 meters, creating dense mats of coverage that transform challenging landscapes into functional and attractive ground cover systems. The plant's naturally prostrate to mounding growth habit reflects its evolution in exposed hill country and mountain environments where low, spreading forms provide advantages in harsh weather conditions.
The species' most distinctive feature lies in its broad, oval leaves that are notably different from the narrow leaves typical of most other Coprosma species. These leaves demonstrate the plant's taxonomic complexity, with historical confusion regarding its relationship to other species now resolved through detailed morphological analysis that confirms its distinct identity within the diverse Coprosma genus.
The plant's reproductive system produces dioecious flowers (separate male and female plants) that develop into bright red to orange berries measuring 4-5 mm in diameter. These berries display color only in the skin rather than throughout the fruit, distinguishing them from closely related species while providing important wildlife food resources and spectacular ground-level displays during fruiting season.
Morphologically, C. dumosa can be distinguished from similar species through several key characteristics: compared to C. parviflora, it has glabrous to glabrescent (hairless) undersides of leaves rather than distinctly hairy surfaces, and produces white, pink, or yellow fruits rather than violet-black berries. Compared to C. ciliata, it has only short hairs on branchlets rather than both long and short hairs, and smaller fruits (4-5 mm versus 6-7 mm).
Broad-leaved Coprosma serves as a foundational species within New Zealand's hill country and mountain ecosystems, providing essential ground cover, wildlife resources, and erosion control services that support ecosystem stability and biodiversity in challenging terrain.
Broad-leaved Coprosma offers exceptional solutions for challenging landscape situations while providing authentic New Zealand character and proven performance in difficult conditions where conventional ground covers fail.
Professional cultivation success depends on understanding this species' natural adaptation to harsh conditions and providing appropriate space and drainage while avoiding the overcare that can compromise its natural hardiness.
While currently not threatened, Broad-leaved Coprosma represents important genetic diversity within New Zealand's extensive Coprosma genus and contributes to ecosystem stability in the hill country and mountain environments where it naturally occurs.
Broad-leaved Coprosma demonstrates sophisticated evolutionary adaptations to New Zealand's challenging hill country and mountain environments, including specialized growth habits, reproductive strategies, and physiological tolerance mechanisms that enable success in harsh conditions.
Coprosma dumosa occupies diverse habitats throughout New Zealand's hill country and mountain regions, demonstrating remarkable ecological adaptability to challenging environments from coastal exposures to alpine margins where its spreading growth form provides competitive advantages.
The species thrives across an impressive elevational range from coastal areas to approximately 1500 meters elevation, establishing populations in hill country and mountain areas characterized by exposed conditions, variable soils, and challenging weather patterns. This broad altitudinal tolerance reflects the plant's exceptional physiological adaptability and robust constitution that enables success across diverse environmental gradients.
Within its natural range, C. dumosa demonstrates particular affinity for sites with excellent drainage, including rocky slopes, ridge systems, and areas with thin soils where competition from other vegetation is reduced. These challenging locations favor the plant's specialized adaptations while providing the harsh conditions that promote its characteristic dense, low-growing form.
The species shows remarkable tolerance for exposed, windy conditions that would challenge many other native plants, establishing dense colonies on ridges, slopes, and open areas where constant air movement and variable weather create demanding growing conditions. This wind tolerance makes it particularly valuable in coastal hill country and mountain environments where shelter is limited.
Natural populations often form extensive mats that cover substantial areas of suitable terrain, creating important ground cover ecosystems that support diverse wildlife communities and prevent soil erosion on vulnerable sites. These natural colonies demonstrate the plant's capacity for landscape-scale coverage when growing conditions and space availability permit unrestricted expansion.
This plant has cultural associations in Aotearoa and is valued in restoration and gardens for ecological services; use eco‑sourced stock near natural areas.
Coprosma species held important cultural significance for Māori, with the orange berries of larger species like karamū (C. robusta) eaten by children as a traditional food source. Kanono (C. grandifolia) was particularly valued for its bark, which provided a vibrant orange dye used in traditional crafts and ceremonial items. These versatile shrubs were integrated into daily life, providing both sustenance and materials for cultural practices.
