Gardening with Indigenous Plants
Indigenous Plant Use
Identification & Control of Common Weeds
| Botanical Name: | Coprosma quadrifida 2 synonyms: Canthium quadrifidum, Marquisia billardierei |
| Common Name: | native currant, prickly currant-bush |
| Sold As: | Tube ($2.00) |
| Plant Type(s): | Medium Shrub (1 to 2 m), Tall Shrub (2 to 6 m), Bird Attracting, Indigenous Plant Use |
| Indigenous Plant Use: | Berries are sweet and high in vitamin C. They can be eaten raw or cooked.CAUTION: Many plants are poisonous if not collected and prepared properly! |
| Growing Conditions: | Partial Shade, Shade
Moist, Well Drained |
| Size (HxW): | 2-4 m x 1-1.5 m |
| Foliage: | Small dull green oblong leaves to a slender tip 15mm long |
| Flowers: | Inconspicuous single light greenish flowers at the end of short branches followed by a small round shiny orange-red fruit. Flowering from January to March. |
| General Comments: | A hardy plant, great for damp shady sites. Erect open to dense shrub with fine spines on branches. Attractive to birds for food and habitat. Frost tolerant. Prickly habitat plant for shaded gardens including ferneries. Will spread readily in ideal conditions. Fruit can be added to salads. |
 Further Information: |
This image by Neil Blair, has licence: CC BY-NC 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0>
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