Coprosma foetidissima
Stinkwood is a distinctive evergreen shrub reaching 2-5 meters tall, notable for its strong aromatic scent when leaves are crushed and its dense, rounded growth habit. This robust species has small, oval leaves with a leathery texture and produces masses of bright orange berries that create spectacular displays. Found throughout New Zealand's forests, scrublands, and coastal areas, it's valued for its extreme hardiness and reliable fruiting. The aromatic foliage and abundant berries make it a memorable and valuable species among New Zealand's native shrubs
Image credit: Stinkwood (Coprosma foetidissima). Wikipedia
| Scientific Name | Coprosma foetidissima |
|---|---|
| Height | 2-5 meters |
| Spread | 2-4 meters |
| Water Needs | Low to moderate |
| Light | Full sun to partial shade |
| Frost Tolerance | High (hardy to -12°C) |
| Salt Tolerance | High (excellent coastal tolerance) |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Lifespan | 50-100 years |
Stinkwood grows throughout New Zealand from sea level to 1800 meters elevation in diverse habitats including forests, scrublands, coastal areas, and alpine zones. This extremely adaptable species thrives in a wide range of climates from warm coastal conditions to harsh mountain environments, demonstrating exceptional environmental tolerance.
| 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 |
Stinkwood is extremely adaptable to diverse soil conditions:
Stinkwood performs well across all light conditions:
Stinkwood has excellent drought tolerance:
Stinkwood tolerates heavy pruning and responds vigorously:
Use sharp, clean tools and be aware of the strong aromatic scent when pruning. The robust nature makes it very tolerant of pruning mistakes.
Plant Stinkwood any time from spring through autumn when soil allows. This exceptionally hardy species establishes successfully even in adverse conditions and challenging weather.
Choose a site with:
Provide minimal care during establishment - Stinkwood is one of the most self-sufficient natives available. Occasional watering during extreme drought is usually sufficient.
Stinkwood propagates very easily from the abundant orange berries:
Seedlings inherit the characteristic strong scent and robust growth habit.
Vegetative propagation is extremely successful:
Stinkwood often establishes naturally and prolifically:
Stinkwood has been recognized throughout New Zealand's cultural history for its distinctive aromatic properties and exceptional hardiness in difficult environments:
Today, Stinkwood is a cornerstone species for restoration in challenging environments. Its combination of extreme hardiness, prolific berry production, and ability to establish quickly in harsh conditions makes it essential for revegetation projects in exposed, degraded, or difficult sites throughout New Zealand.
Stinkwood's aromatic properties and extremely hardy nature make it one of the most pest and disease resistant native shrubs. Its robust growth typically overcomes any problems without intervention.
Plant Stinkwood where its aromatic properties can be appreciated as a unique sensory garden feature - many people find the scent pleasant despite the common name. The masses of bright orange berries create one of the most reliable wildlife feeding stations among native plants, particularly valuable in harsh environments where few other food sources persist. Position where you can observe birds feeding while appreciating the plant's remarkable ability to thrive in challenging conditions.
Learn more about the cultural significance of native shrubs in Cultural Plants.
Successful cultivation of Coprosma foetidissima requires understanding its remarkable adaptability and robust nature while providing appropriate establishment care to harness its exceptional tolerance for challenging conditions across diverse New Zealand environments.
Stinkwood's extraordinary adaptability and hardiness make it one of New Zealand's most tolerant native plants, requiring minimal specific conditions while thriving across the broadest range of environments of any Coprosma species.
Stinkwood rewards minimal intervention with decades of exceptional performance, requiring virtually no maintenance once established while providing reliable year-round structure and spectacular seasonal berry displays.
Coprosma foetidissima stands as the type species and founding member of the entire Coprosma genus, representing the quintessential characteristics that define this remarkable group of New Zealand endemic plants while demonstrating the most extreme adaptability and distinctive aromatic properties within the family.
This robust, open-branched tree or shrub typically reaches 3 meters in typical mainland conditions, though specimens in the Auckland Islands can achieve impressive heights of 6 meters with trunk diameters up to 45 centimeters, demonstrating the species' remarkable growth potential under optimal conditions. The plant's architectural foundation consists of dark brown bark and distinctively glabrous (hairless) branchlets that create an clean, elegant branching pattern.
The species' most distinctive feature lies in its specialized leaves, which measure 30-50 mm long and 14-20 mm wide, displaying obovate to oblong to broadly ovate shapes with somewhat leathery texture. These remarkable leaves contain the plant's famous aromatic compounds, particularly methanethiol (methyl mercaptan), which produces the characteristic "rotten cabbage" or "rotten egg" smell when crushed, giving the plant both its common name and the etymological basis for the entire genus name Coprosma (from Greek "kopros" meaning dung and "osma" meaning smell).
The leaves demonstrate sophisticated ecological adaptations, including domatia - small indentations on the undersides that provide habitat for potentially beneficial insects such as mites and other arthropods, creating a complex microecosystem within the plant's structure. These domatia represent an advanced form of mutualistic relationship between the plant and its associated invertebrate communities.
The species supports an extraordinary diversity of endemic insects, including three species of gall mites (Eriophyidae), five species of moth and butterfly caterpillars (Gracillariidae, Tortricidae, Geometridae), eight species of scale insects and sucking bugs (Aleyrodidae, Eriococcidae, Diaspididae, Miridae), larvae of gall flies (Cecidomyiidae), and seven species of weevils (Curculionidae) that utilize dead wood, making it one of New Zealand's most important native plants for supporting endemic invertebrate biodiversity.
Stinkwood serves as a keystone species within New Zealand's diverse ecosystems, supporting extraordinary biodiversity while providing essential ecological services across the widest range of habitats of any native shrub species.
Stinkwood offers unparalleled versatility for challenging landscape situations while providing authentic New Zealand character and the highest level of environmental tolerance available among native plants.
Professional cultivation success with Stinkwood requires understanding that this species thrives on minimal intervention and challenging conditions, performing best when allowed to express its natural hardiness and adaptability.
While classified as "Not Threatened," Stinkwood represents irreplaceable biodiversity as the type species for the Coprosma genus and supports the highest level of endemic invertebrate diversity among New Zealand's native plants.
Stinkwood demonstrates the most sophisticated evolutionary adaptations within the Coprosma genus, including unique chemical defenses, specialized invertebrate relationships, and physiological mechanisms that enable survival across New Zealand's most diverse range of environments.
Coprosma foetidissima occupies the most extensive and diverse habitat range of any New Zealand native plant, demonstrating extraordinary ecological adaptability from coastal areas to subalpine zones across the entire length of the country and extending to remote offshore islands.
The species' remarkable distribution encompasses the entire North Island from Moehau southward, the complete South Island, Stewart Island, and extends to the remote Auckland Islands, representing one of the most comprehensive natural ranges among New Zealand's endemic flora. This extensive distribution reflects the plant's exceptional evolutionary success and adaptive capacity across diverse environmental gradients.
Within this vast range, Stinkwood thrives across an unprecedented elevational gradient from sea level to approximately 1800 meters, occupying coastal forests, lowland scrublands, montane forests, subalpine shrublands, and occasionally extending into grassland environments. This altitudinal versatility demonstrates physiological adaptations that enable the species to function effectively under the dramatically different conditions found from coastal exposures to high mountain environments.
The species shows particular ecological flexibility in habitat selection, establishing populations in coastal forests subject to salt spray, sheltered valley floors, exposed ridge systems, forest margins, and disturbed sites where its pioneer characteristics enable rapid colonization. This habitat diversity reflects the plant's remarkable tolerance for environmental variation and competitive ability across diverse plant community types.
On the remote Auckland Islands, Stinkwood reaches its maximum size potential, achieving tree-like proportions that demonstrate the species' growth capacity under optimal conditions while highlighting the ecological importance of these subantarctic island refugia for preserving the full expression of New Zealand's endemic plant diversity.
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.
