Coprosma repens Pink Splendour

Coprosma 'Pink Splendour' is a small evergreen bush with multicoloured foliage, decorative all year round, with the pink shade intensifying in winter. Originally from New Zealand, it is not very hardy, but resistant to drought once well-rooted, and very tolerant to sea spray. This makes it a perfect subject for coastal areas. Its very dense foliage, composed of small tough leaves, is shiny and dark green, yellow, and pink. With its modest size, it will be perfect for enhancing a flowerbed, in full sun or partial shade, in non-chalky soil. In climates too cold for it to be planted in the ground, it can easily be grown in a pot on a terrace and brought indoors in winter.

The genus Coprosma consists of 90 species of evergreen bushes and small trees, most of which are native to New Zealand. These plants belong to the extensive family of Rubiaceae (over 10,000 species), which also includes Coffee and Gardenia, for example. Recently arrived on the European horticultural market, these bushes, called mirror plants, develop extremely shiny foliage where light and colours play wonderfully. From their origins, these tender plants have retained a preference for dry and hot climates and poor, well-drained soils. Hybrids and cultivars like 'Pink Splendour' are not very hardy and suffer from temperatures below -4°C (24.8 °F). Their cultivation in the ground is therefore reserved for coastal areas spared from severe frosts.

Coprosma 'Pink Splendor' is a hybrid bush resulting, among others, from the species Coprosma repens. It has an upright and dense habit, reaching a height of about 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in) and a spread of 1.20 m (3 ft 11 in) at maturity. Its foliage is evergreen and composed of small, opposite, entire, lanceolate, tough, and very shiny leaves. Slightly undulate, they have a dark green centre surrounded by an irregular margin, with a mix of yellow (or creamy white in partially shaded exposure) and salmon pink. The colours are less vibrant if the plant is not exposed to full sun. From autumn, when the first cold weather arrives, the pink intensifies day by day, further enhancing the aesthetic of the bush. This variety is a male clone that does not produce berries like the female varieties such as 'Fire Burst'. This Coprosma grows in neutral to acidic, light, poor, even sandy soil, preferably in full sun but tolerates partial shade. It has low hardiness, tolerating only brief frosts around -4°C/-6°C (21.2 °F).

The Coprosma 'Pink Splendour' is a very popular bush in New Zealand for its decorative aspect, its adaptation to the local climate, and its excellent resistance to insects and diseases. Its variegated foliage will be highlighted when associated with Pittosporum tobira, a large bush with shiny dark green foliage, also resistant to salt spray, and whose white flowering fills the air with fragrance in spring. With its grey foliage, Elaeagnus ebbingei will also be a good companion, and its autumn flowering, albeit discreet, is very fragrant. And for its abundant white flowering, which earned it the common name Tree Aster, try Olearia x haastii, another New Zealand evergreen.