Coprosma Lucida
The coprosma, commonly referred to as shiny karamu, is an adaptable plant ideal for coastal projects in most climates and locations. Requiring well-drained soil conditions, it tolerates heavy clipping or pruning without suffering damage – perfect for coastal gardens! An evergreen shrub, this evergreen is covered in glossy green leaves 12-17 cm long oval in shape tapering off at stem end; main vein pale in hue forming a prominent ridge on upper surface of leaves.
Early Life and Education
The shrub thrives in damp, sheltered sites and is quick to establish itself quickly – ideal for revegetation work and shade tolerance. As it’s dioecious with separate male and female plants, fruit ripening from February through May. Propagation requires washing fruit until soft then carefully extracting two seeds per fruit with water until all fleshy pulp has been removed, before sowing on a firm bed of seed raising mix and covering lightly to encourage seedling germination within months.
Fruit from this evergreen shrub are popularly consumed by native birds and used for medicinal use, while its leaves feature green stout leaves with pale main veins creating raised ridges on both the upper and lower surfaces, triangular stipules with fine hairs on them, making this hardy evergreen shrub native to New Zealand.
Achievement and Honors
Coprosma lucida, commonly referred to locally as “karamu”, boasts one of the lustrous (lucid) sheens among all coprosmas and can be found throughout New Zealand in shaded, protected locations. Its flowers are wind pollinated – an advantage for native plants which do not need colored petals to attract pollinating insects; its orange red berries ripen at maturity.
This shrub has become a cornerstone of indigenous restoration and revegetation projects. It provides an effective barrier against grass encroachment on sandy sites due to its dense tussocks of leaves which block succession. Furthermore, its dense tussocks of leaves help block road verges from spreading weeds; additionally it makes an excellent candidate for cultivation as it thrives well across multiple environments.
Personal Life
Coprosma boasts one of the widest ranges of adaptations to New Zealand’s challenging habitats compared to any other genus group: from creeping mats to upright small trees, shade-lovers to sun lovers – this group encompasses it all!
Maori Maori for “karamu,” this evergreen shrub can be found throughout both North and South Islands in scrubland, forest margins, lowland to montane areas where moisture and sun conditions are ideal. It gets its name from its glossy leaves which form opposite pairs with shiny green edges – known as “lucid leaves” – as well as from its strong aroma that fills the room when crushed.
Shining karamu is a favorite in urban gardens, serving as an attractive backdrop for more eccentric plant forms to stand out against. Additionally, this species lends itself well to natural landscaping where its height and structure help provide structure to any landscape design scheme.
Net Worth
Coprosma lucida, more commonly referred to in Maori as karamu (pronounced ‘ka-ram-u”) is an endemic shrub found throughout both North and South Islands in shrubland or forest margin areas.
Coprosma lucida is dioecious, with both male and female flowers adapted for wind pollination. Male blooms have inconspicuous greenish flowers while female flowers develop two narrow prongs at the tip of their style that provide an extensive area for pollen receptivity.
The leaves of Kanono are large, glossy and dark green in colour. Their width and length vary between wide and long with raised main veins on their upper and lower surfaces, and boast stout branches carrying green reddish orange fruit that birds disperse. Their triangular stipules feature fine hairs (cilia) as well as numerous terminal glands (denticles). Similar to other members of this genus, Kanono also bears leaf pits thought to contain domatia that have yet to be fully understood – although their exact function remains unknown.