Native Currant
Coprosma billardieri

Family: Rubiaceae

What it is like

Coprosma billardieri is an evergreen Shrub growing to 3 m (9ft 10in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in leaf all year. 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): 3

Where it is found

Shady mountain gullies in moister forests to the montane zone.

Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania, Victoria.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Fruit - raw or cooked. Sweet and juicy, but with little flavour. The red fruit is about 7mm in diameter. The roasted seed is an excellent coffee substitute.

Coffee: the various substitutes that can be used instead of coffee.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating: 1

A yellow dye is obtained from the wood, it does not require a mordant.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

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. Somewhat intolerant of frost, this species is only likely to succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of Britain. Plants are hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens though this does not translate directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. Hybridizes freely with other members of this genus. Plants are tolerant of heavy clipping or pruning. 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; Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

C. quadrifida. (Labill.)Robinson.