Mirror Bush Evening Glow

Mirror Bush 'Evening Glow' (Coprosma repens 'Evening Glow') is grown for foliage rather than flowers, carrying small glossy leaves in gold, orange and red that catch the light like polished metal. It makes a rounded shrub about 1m tall and 1m wide, fast enough to fill a bed in a season or two. Salt and wind do not trouble it, which is why it turns up in so many coastal front gardens.

Why you'll love it

• Colour without flowers. Gold, orange and red foliage holds all year, so the bed never goes through a dull patch.
• Made for the coast. Salt tolerant and wind tolerant, so it holds its shape on an exposed beachside boundary where softer shrubs burn.
• Neat at a useful height. A natural 1m by 1m dome sits below a window line, needing only a light trim.
• Low input. Drought tolerant once established, no spraying and no feeding schedule to remember.

Where it works best

Low hedging. Plant 0.6m apart for a continuous low hedge. At that spacing the plants knit together within two seasons while each still gets the sun it needs to hold its colour.

Coastal gardens and mass planting. Use the same 0.6m spacing across a bed. A drift of the warm foliage reads strongly against grey timber, render or stone.

Pots, borders and edging. A pot 400mm or wider suits a single plant on a balcony or beside a doorway, and the compact habit makes it an easy bed edge.

Growing Mirror Bush 'Evening Glow' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, and this is not negotiable if you want the colour. In shade the foliage reverts towards plain green and the plant opens up. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, so most of coastal Australia is in range. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts and hard frosting southern gardens need a hardier shrub or a sheltered warm wall.

Soil. Free draining soil of any type, including sand. On clay, plant on a raised mound and work coarse material through the bed. Mulch 50mm deep and keep it off the stems.

Water and feed. Water twice a week through the first summer, then only in dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser once in early spring keeps the colour strong, and heavy feeding does more harm than good.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density, then trim two or three times a year to hold the shape. New growth carries the brightest colour, so regular light clipping improves the display rather than costing you it.

What to expect when it arrives

Two sizes are grown: tubes and a 140mm pack of ten. Both are young plants, the sensible way to buy a hedge, and this is a fast grower so they catch up quickly. Expect a full low hedge in about two growing seasons from tubes.

Young plants often arrive greener than expected. The warm gold and red tones develop as the plant matures in full sun and deepen in cooler weather. Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse salt tolerant plants for coastal gardens
• Compare hedging plants by height
• See more plants with variegated foliage
• Find plants suited to pots and containers

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

0.6m apart in a single row. Closer planting does not close the hedge sooner and reduces the airflow and light each plant needs to colour properly.

Why has my plant gone green?

Almost always too little sun. The warm tones need direct light, so a plant in shade or under a tree canopy drifts back towards plain green.

Will it survive frost?

It takes light frost only. Repeated hard frosts burn the foliage and set the plant back badly, so gardeners in cold inland districts should choose something tougher.