Mirror bush

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; coloured foliage usually develops best in sun.

Water

Water regularly while establishing, then during prolonged dry spells. Container plants need more frequent watering, but must not stand in water.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including sandy coastal soil; tolerates a range of soil pH. Avoid persistently wet ground.

Height

6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m), sometimes taller in sheltered, frost-free sites; compact cultivars remain much smaller.

Spread

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m), depending on cultivar and pruning.

Foliage

Evergreen. Thick, rounded to oval leaves with a highly polished surface. The species is green; variegated and coloured cultivars may deepen in colour during cool weather.

Growth

Moderate to fast in mild conditions.

Care needed

Low

• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   3 ft (1.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   5 ft (1.6 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2.2 m)

5. After 5 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Invasive in

the US and Australia

In the garden

Spreads vigorously: plan to contain it.

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply through the first growing season, allowing the soil surface to dry slightly between waterings.
• Apply a light dressing of balanced fertiliser in spring if growth is weak; avoid heavy feeding.
• Mulch around the roots, keeping mulch clear of the stems.
• Use a container with drainage holes and free-draining potting mix.
• Move container plants into a bright, frost-free place before hard frosts in cold-winter areas.
• Remove plain-green shoots from variegated plants at their point of origin.

Pruning. Trim hedges and shape shrubs in spring after the main frost risk has passed, with a light summer trim if needed. Wait until new growth shows before cutting back frost-damaged stems, and avoid hard pruning in autumn.

Spring

Plant after the main frost risk, water thoroughly and mulch around the root zone.

Mid-spring

Prune frost damage once live growth is visible, and shape established shrubs.

Late spring

Give container plants a light feed and check that drainage holes remain clear.

Summer

Water young plants during dry weather and lightly trim hedges if necessary.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Autumn

Move pots under cover before damaging frost and reduce watering as growth slows.

Winter

Keep sheltered container plants bright and barely moist; check for scale insects.

• Clip into a dense hedge or wind-filtering screen in mild coastal gardens.
• Use compact coloured cultivars in containers beside entrances or on sheltered terraces.
• Combine glossy foliage with New Zealand flax and ornamental grasses for contrasting leaf shapes.
• Plant green-leaved forms as an evergreen background to flowering shrubs and perennials.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, Modern, Architectural minimal, Modern courtyard, Low-maintenance and Winter interest.

Plant it with: New Zealand flax, Coastal rosemary, Lomandra, Agapanthus, Lavender and Pittosporum.

Wildlife: Small, inconspicuous flowers are followed by orange-red fruit on female plants when a male plant is nearby. Birds eat the fruit and can spread the seeds into surrounding habitats.

• Frost damage: leaves blacken and shoot tips die after hard freezes; shelter plants and prune damaged growth in spring.
• Root rot: wet soil causes yellowing, wilting and root decline; improve drainage and avoid standing water.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides; remove small infestations by hand or use a labelled horticultural oil as directed.
• Green reversion: vigorous green shoots can overwhelm variegated growth; remove them completely at their origin.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No part is recognised as a serious poisoning hazard, but it is an ornamental plant rather than a food crop; eating plant material may still cause stomach upset.

Where it spreads. Spreads by bird-carried seed and is an environmental weed in coastal California and parts of Australia, including New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Check local guidance before planting, especially near dunes, coastal scrub or bushland.

• Japanese spindle (Euonymus japonicus)

  Also has glossy, opposite leaves, but their margins have fine teeth; mirror bush leaves have smooth margins.

• New Zealand broadleaf (Griselinia littoralis)

  Has leathery, glossy leaves arranged alternately rather than in opposite pairs, often with an uneven leaf base.

• Dwarf mirror bush (Coprosma kirkii)

  Usually forms a low, spreading shrub with much smaller, narrower leaves than the broad, rounded leaves of Coprosma repens.

Mirror bush refers to the reflective leaves; Coprosma comes from Greek words for dung and smell, referring to the odour of some species, while repens means creeping.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and root them in a free-draining medium under humid conditions. Seed can be used for the species, but seedlings will not reliably retain a cultivar's foliage colour or compact habit.

Accepted botanical name

Coprosma repens

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

New Zealand North and New Zealand South.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.