Description
Coprosma propinqua is a key revegetation plant for riparian plantings. An endemic species found throughout New Zealand in diverse settings from coastal salt marshes to dry woodlands. It can be found in association with (but not limited to) Plagianthus divaricatus, Muehlenbeckia complexa, Discaria toumatou and Phormium tenax. For more information about plant communities, we recommend DOC’s publication Native Plant Communities of the Canterbury Plains.
Coprosma propinqua is a highly variable plant as it crosses with other coprosmas easily. Like other small-leaved coprosmas, it is a divaricating shrub. Flowers are borne in clusters at the ends of short branches followed by Blue / White berries that attract birds. Tolerates a variety of soils from wet to well-drained. Evergreen, hardy.
Small-leaved coprosmas are good for revegetation projects, hedging, and adding texture into a garden. Mingimingi are evergreen and suited to full sun to part shade. They produce berries from January to April that are dispersed by fruit-eating animals (frugivory). They also provide habitat for New Zealand’s declining lizard and gecko populations. As attractors of these small animals, they are a pioneer shrub in revegetation projects. Mingimingi provides a tough shelter, providing good food for native birds and lizards, as well as ground cover for these.
