#coprosma

Ros is out searching for Funny Ground Monkey rain or shine, but he does have a cloak for when the weather's particularly bad (it also helps camouflage his Bright White Wings, not that it does a very good job when he's flapping about)

Plant of the Day

Thursday 16 October 2025

The distinctive foliage of the evergreen Coprosma repens ‘Eclipse’ (the mirror, looking glass plant) catches the autumn sunshine. This compact shrub is tolerant of coastal conditions and exposed sites. It thrives in a well-drained soil with full sun or partial shade with a sheltered aspect but may need frost protection in colder areas.

Bonus Tetragnatha spider I only just noticed.

Originally described as Pelaphia lata.

Endemic to New Zealand coastal and lowland areas, but an increasingly serious weed in Victoria and Tasmania. The fruit is spread by birds and the plant grows readily from seed in infertile soils, and in poorly drained and exposed lands. It can also grow in a large range of altitude varying from sea level to 1,200 meters, under full sun to shady, windy and frostprone habitats.

Introduced mammals such as goats (Capra hircus) and deer (Cervus elaphus) have a severe impact on karamū, and hares (Lepus timidus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) eat the seedlings.

The berries are edible and leaves can be brewed into a medicinal tea. The leaves are believed by Maori to have the ability to deal with kidney troubles and the bark to treat stomachache and vomiting. Karamū is rich in dyes including alizarin and purpurin. Sometimes leaves of the plant were put on stones to dye the food and preserve them after a hangi.

Some more monthly events in gryphon land! I really need to revisit this style, it was fun