Coprosmas at Markham's Nursery
In our last email, we wrote about an area of the nursery sometimes overlooked by our shoppers - the succulent collection. Another area that might not be as familiar as the native or perennial display is our shrub bed. We have an assortment of shrubs in all sizes, shapes and colors ranging from Westringia to Fothergilla to Leptospermum to Hebe to one of my personal favorites, Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst'. One plant of which we have several varieties is Coprosma - an evergreen shrub which hails from New Zealand. Some of them have the common name Mirror Plant and with their shiny, bright foliage, it is obvious why they are so called. They can be grown in full sun or partial shade and need low to moderate water. They will tolerate some pruning to keep them looking neat. Our varieties in the Nursery include:
Coprosma 'Rainbow Surprise'- Grows 4-5 feet tall and wide. Leaves are a variegated dark green and cream tinged with pink, the coloring supposedly becomes more intense in the winter.
Coprosma x 'Black Cloud' - Grows 3 feet tall and wide. Small leaves are a glossy dark green tinged with black.
Coprosma kirkii Silver - Low growing groundcover that will spread to 4 feet or more. Variegated foliage is gray green edged with ivory.
Some interesting ways to use Coprosma include as a substantial background plant in a large container or as a part of a planting with succulents. Their variegation and glossiness could add some liveliness to an area in the garden that is mostly green foliage.
Fall is generally an excellent time for planting shrubs while the soil is still warm but the nights become cooler, so consider adding a Coprosma to your garden before the rains hit.
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