Coprosma hirtella aka Rough Coprosma

Coprosma hirtella, or rough coprosma, is an evergreen shrub. It is part of the Rubiaceae family. It comes from southeastern Australia. Its range takes in Tasmania and Victoria. It also covers eastern New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Wild plants grow by streams and in high gullies. They grow on mountainsides, up into the subalpine zone. The shrub reaches about 6.6 feet [2 metres] tall. It keeps its leaves all year.

Wind moves pollen between the male and female flowers. Most plants bear flowers of just one sex. The species cannot set seed with its own pollen. Grow both sexes if you want seed. The dark red fruit is about 0.24 inches [6 millimetres] across. You can eat the fruit raw or cooked. It tastes a little sweet, but PFAF gives it a low rating. You can roast the seeds to use in place of coffee.

Choose full sun or light shade for garden plants. A woodland edge or a spot with dappled shade suits it. PFAF also suggests spots by south-facing or west-facing walls. Keep the soil moist, but make sure it drains very well. Soil that is neutral or a little acid suits it best. It grows in sand and loam, and will cope with most soils. The shrub stands up to hard pruning and clipping. Its leaves give a woodland garden year-round growth.

Cold limits where this shrub can grow outdoors in Britain. PFAF advises growing it only in the country's milder parts. Australian garden reports note that it survived 19°F [-7°C]. This does not mean it will withstand equal cold in Britain. Cooler summers and longer, wetter winters change the risk. PFAF lists USDA zones 8–11. Give young plants shelter through their first winter. Plant them outside in late spring or early summer.

You can raise new plants from seeds and cuttings. Sow stored seed in spring in a cold frame. Even fresh seed may take more than a year to sprout. Keep young seedlings under glass through their first winter. In autumn, take cuttings from mature wood grown that season. The wood also gives a yellow dye without a mordant, which helps fix dye. PFAF lists no known uses as medicine or known hazards. That hazard entry does not show that pets are safe. Its weed review lists no weed potential.