Coprosma petriei
Family: Rubiaceae
What it is like
Coprosma petriei is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.1 m (0ft 4in) by 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 7. It is in leaf all year, and the seeds ripen in August. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). and is pollinated by Wind. The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0.1
Where it is found
Lowland to higher montane grassland, stream margins, rocky places and dry river beds on North and South Islands.
New Zealand.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet, but without much flavour. The fruits vary in colour from white to blue or sea-green. The fruit is seldom borne in Britain. The fruit is about 12mm wide. The roasted seed is an excellent coffee substitute.
Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 3
A yellow dye is obtained from the wood, it does not require a mordant. A dense carpeting plant, it can be planted about 25cm apart to form a ground cover. The cultivar 'Violet Drops' is much more vigorous than the type, forming compact mats up to 2 metres across and making a very good ground cover.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Ground cover: Ground Cover
How it is grown
Requires a moist, very well-drained neutral to slightly acid soil in full sun or light shade. Succeeds in most soils, so long as they are well-drained. This plant has survived very dry conditions with us and appears to be very drought tolerant. One of the hardiest members of this genus, it succeeds outdoors in the rock garden in many parts of the country. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus, though it does not seem to cross with C. pumila, C. atropurpurea or any red-fruited species. There are several named forms selected for their ornamental value. 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. Male and female plants must usually be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - probably best sown as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse or cold frame. Sow stored seed in spring in a cold frame. Germination can be slow, often taking more than 12 months even when fresh seed is used. 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. Cuttings of mature wood of the current year's growth, autumn in a frame.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; Ground Cover; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 6-9
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist