Coprosma Mini Mac

Coprosma 'Mini Mac' is a green ball of light for the garden or terrace. This small evergreen bush has a rather exceptional density of vegetation, and it is easy to maintain a nice shape through light annual pruning. Originally from New Zealand, it is not very hardy, but it is drought-resistant and very tolerant of sea spray. In the ground, it is an ideal plant for coastal gardens. Elsewhere, it will adorn the terrace or balcony throughout the summer and spend the winter protected from frost.

The 'Mini Mac' coprosma is a small variety. The Coprosma genus consists of 90 species of evergreen bushes and small trees, most of which are native to New Zealand. These plants belong to the Rubiaceae family, which includes, for example, Sweet Woodruff, Coffee, and Gardenia. Recently introduced to the European horticultural market, these bushes, nicknamed mirror plants, develop extremely shiny foliage where light and colours play wonderfully. From their origins, these tender bushes have retained a preference for dry and warm climates and poor, well-drained soils. Hybrids and cultivars are not very hardy, and the plants begin to suffer from temperatures below -5°C (23 °F). Therefore, their cultivation in the ground will be reserved for coastal areas spared from heavy frosts.

The 'Mini Mac' Coprosma has a naturally rounded and compact habit, reaching about 50 cm (19.7 in) in all directions within 4 or 5 years. It develops foliage composed of small, lanceolate, leathery, and shiny leaves. Their colour is initially tender green and becomes darker as the season progresses. The discreet flowering occurs at the end of summer in tufts of greenish stamens or stigmas, carried by male or female flowers on separate plants. The frost resistance of this variety is estimated at around -8°C (17.6 °F) at its lowest, in very well-drained soil.

Coprosma 'Mini Mac' is a bush with a modern and precious appearance, very ornamental when it lives in a pot on the terrace or balcony. It can be associated, in a border, with other green foliage plants (Lonicera nitida, Lonicera pileata), variegated (Emerald Gaiety Euonymus), purple, like dwarf Berberis, or grey, like small Artemisia. The small blue flowers of some shrubby salvias or Felicia will pose blue flashes on the ice of its foliage. Pot cultivation is essential in regions where frost is significant in winter, but the coprosma tolerates it very well. This bush requires some precautions to acclimatize to the ground in gardens: it prefers light, poor, and non-chalky soils.