Coprosma robusta Pina colada

Coprosma robusta 'Pina Colada' is a true flame for the garden or terrace. It is a small evergreen bush with changing and zesty colours, predominantly yellow, variegated with orange and green, a tangy cocktail magnified by the very shiny texture of its small leaves. Originally from New Zealand, it is not very hardy, but drought-resistant and very tolerant to sea spray. In the ground, it is an ideal plant for coastal gardens. Elsewhere, this rounded bush with very dense vegetation will adorn the terrace or balcony throughout the summer and will spend the winter protected from frost.

Coprosma robusta 'Pina Colada' is a hybrid horticultural variety resulting from a crossbreeding with the Coprosma robusta. The genus Coprosma consists of 90 species of evergreen shrubs and small trees, most of which are native to New Zealand. These plants belong to the family Rubiaceae, which also includes, for example, sweet woodruff, coffee, and gardenia. Recently arrived on the European horticultural market, these shrubs, nicknamed mirror plants, develop extremely glossy foliage where light and colours play wonderfully. From their origins, these tender shrubs have retained a preference for dry and warm climates and poor, well-drained soils. Hybrids and cultivars like 'Pina Colada' are not very hardy and the plants begin to suffer from -3°C. Their cultivation in the ground will therefore be reserved for coastal areas spared from severe frosts.

'Pina Colada' has a rounded and compact habit, reaching approximately 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) in all directions at maturity. Its growth is rapid. It develops evergreen foliage composed of small, opposite, lanceolate, leathery, and shiny leaves. Their colour is yellow at the base and turns orange and green at the margin depending on the season. The overall effect is a kind of sparkling, shining, and multicoloured bush. The discreet flowering takes place in late summer in tufts of greenish stamens or stigmas, carried by male or female flowers on separate bushes. The tolerance to frost of this variety is evaluated at -6°C (21.2 °F) at its lowest, in very well-drained soil.

Coprosma 'Pina Colada' is a precious-looking bush, very ornamental when placed in a pot on the terrace or balcony. It can be associated, in a low hedge, with other plants with green foliage (Lonicera nitida), golden (golden marjoram), purple like those of Berberis, or grey, like wormwood. The small blue flowers of Salvia chamaedryoides or Felicia will pose blue flashes on the ice of its foliage. This cultivation method is suitable for most regions where frost is heavy in winter. This bush requires some precautions to be able to acclimatize in the ground in gardens: it prefers light, poor, and non-chalky soils.