Coprosma 'Karo Red' (aka Mirror Plant)

 

The date stamp on the oldest photo I have of this little tree is Jan 1,2025, so I will use that as an acquisition date for the Karo Red, aka Mirror Plant. I do, however, remember clearly seeing him for the first time & saying to myself that I wanted that plant on the patio..Coprosma is an evergreen shrub or small tree, with foliage that ranges from green for new, young leaves, to shades of burgundy so dark, it appears almost black.                                           

Acquisition: Jan 1, 2025 - Home Depot - $?? (I don't remember)

Jan 2025

 In addition to bringing some mid-winter color to the patio, once   potted in a tray, this specimen touted what could become a   weathered, old looking trunk, & a nice looking base. (the base of   the tree is referred to as nebari)

 One of the reasons for potting in trays instead of pots is to display   more of the tree, including the trunk & nebari..another purpose of   the tray is to begin training the roots to grow out & around the   tree, as   opposed to growing downward.

 

 This photo(above) shows the Karo Red after his 'first     haircut'..foliage pruned into a "pom-pom" shape..looking good.

Oct. 2025

And here he is 10 months later with some of his buddies..his foliage has grown-out..young growth is green, changing to a dark reddish color, as they age. Understanding that, you can surmise the general age of the tree by the amount of green vs red vs burgundy colors displayed.

Oct 2025

 Yesterday, I repotted my Red Coprosma..used the same training pot & held off on root pruning except for cleaning-up some exposed roots, as I wanted to minimize any trauma..this plant is recovering from being badly burned by an accidental use of full-strength fertilizer & I am treating him with "kid gloves"

The accident also affected 3 other trees; 1 dead, 1 lived but permanently disfigured, 2 others which are recovering. Lesson learned? Yes!

Feb 2026

'Karo Red' is almost fully recovered from the chemical burns & is slowly "filling-in" the areas that were defoliated. This little tree has truly met the test of time & the ability to recover from what might have been fatal to others.

Decided he was worthy & due for a  more permanent home than the plastic training tray he has been in for the last year. I had purchased this tray specifically for the Coprosma, because the ceramic body color matches the mature foliage & seems to be complimentary, I think.

April 2026

The Karo Red may never look like he did 16 months ago, but he has survived & is continuing to fill-out his foliage in the burned areas. The canopy is not quite restored, but it appears he has adjusted well to re-potting..looks like he's "put on some weight".                          

                       

As one of the oldest specimens in the collection & his recovery from adversity, he has reclaimed his right to be a front-line tree & to be on display, permanently, I hope.

Sept. 2026

2 or 3 days ago, I noticed that the Coprosma's foliage was looking dull, dingy, not the usual evergreen "shiny" leaves & looking closer, saw that foliage was wilting & dying.

We have had unusually hot weather this summer, in fact, the last 6 weeks have constituted one of the hottest summers ever recorded. On further inspection, it seemed that the potting mix was unusually wet, as if the plant was not using any water..I have had this plant (as well as my entire collection) in a Cactus & Succulent mix for the past 18 months or so, but I have not previously encountered anything like this.

I aerated the soil with a chopstick, removed the top dressing & let the soil dry out for 24 hours..the soil appeared "dusty" after drying out..watered deeply, but after another 24 hours, observed that the tree was not taking-up water & that the potting mix had largely become muddy.

This is one of my oldest plants & other than some leaf burn from an accidental liquid ferilizer spill, has been among the best behaved..he survived the chemical spill & regrew the burned foliage; he survived "bonsai-fication" without a whimper..root pruning & potting in a 3" deep Bonsai tray did not faze him & in spite of the heat this summer, I thought the plant was doing well.

This morning, I will de-pot the Karo Red & take a look a the roots..he MAY just be root bound, but that would be too easy. I suspect a complete breakdown & failure of the potting mix & have already made the decision to repot this little tree in an inorganic mix. (my intention is to completely do-away with the old potting mix..no more dirt).

Looking at the Coprosma after de-pot, & he sure isn't "root-bound", so we can eliminate that theory. After rinsing-off the roots & taking a close look, the roots look & feel OK. They are not mushy, no greasy black areas. although I feel like the lack of more feeder roots after this much time is disapointing..he should have developed more roots just under the base, I think..I wonder if the aggregate top dressing I've been using was too thick &/or too tight around the base of the trunk? 

No evidence of "root rot", so maybe I can save this tree..I am attached to Red..not because he is a particularly good looking specimen or that he is a rare or unique tree, but because he is one of my earliest acquisitions & has survived my bumbling efforts, up till now.

Nothing left to do now but re-pot, using the Bonsai Mix & hope for the best. I have been advised to water him in after the repot, keep him out of the direct sun & leave him alone for a couple of days.

Only time will tell..check back in a couple of days..

(BACK)