Grow mirror plant in full sun on the coast, or in light shade inland, in soil that drains. Mirror plant is Coprosma repens, also sold as looking-glass plant.
Give it full sun on the coast, or light shade inland, and soil that drains
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun on a coastal site; part sun or light shade inland where summer is hot | Do not bake cream-marked leaves in hot inland afternoon sun |
| Soil | Moist sand or loam that still drains after rain | Do not plant it in a hole that stays soggy |
| Water | Water a new plant through the first season, then skip extra water except in a long dry spell | Do not keep the soil muddy |
| Salt and wind | Coastal wind and salt spray are fine | Do not skip drainage because the site is by the sea |
| Deer | Deer usually leave the shrub alone | Do not assume every animal will ignore it |
| Frost | A mild-winter garden, or a pot you can move inside before a hard freeze | Do not leave it out for a hard freeze |
| Feed | A light feed in spring if growth is thin | Do not dump nitrogen that pushes soft growth |
Mirror plant wants sun and a hole that drains. On the coast it takes full sun, salt spray, and wind. Inland, light shade keeps the leaves from scorching, and deer usually leave the shrub alone. [1] [2] Water a new plant through the first season, then skip extra water except in a long dry spell, because the roots rot in muddy ground. mirror plant uses that same sun, drain, and first-season water.
- Choose full sun on the coast, or part sun to light shade inland. A west wall that bakes in summer is a poor inland site for a cream-marked leaf.
- Set it in soil that stays moist and still drains. Sand and loam are fine; a low wet corner is not.
- Water through the first season so the roots take. After that, skip extra water except in a long dry spell.
- If a hard freeze is coming, move a container inside, or plant only where winters stay mild.
Does mirror plant need full sun?
On the coast, yes. Inland, give it part sun or light shade so the leaves do not scorch.
How often should I water mirror plant?
Water a new plant through the first season. After that, skip extra water except in a long dry spell, and do not leave the roots in standing water.
Does deer or salt spray bother it?
Deer usually leave it alone, and salt spray does not bother a coastal planting. The roots still need soil that drains.
Grow it in a pot you can move inside
In a cold-winter garden, keep mirror plant in a pot you can carry to a bright, frost-free porch before a hard freeze. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a mix that drains. Put it in sun on the coast, or in light shade inland, then move it inside when frost is coming. [3]
- Choose a pot with a drainage hole. Do not sit it in a saucer of standing water.
- Fill with a mix that drains. Water when the top of the mix is dry, and do not leave the roots wet.
- Set the pot in sun or light shade, matching the coast or inland rule above.
- Move it inside before a hard freeze, and bring it back out after frost has passed.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. Use a pot with a drainage hole and a mix that drains, and move it inside before a hard freeze.
Plant at the same depth as the pot, three to six feet apart
Knock the shrub from its pot and set the root ball at the same depth it was already growing. Leave three to six feet between plants so a mature shrub has room. Water after you plant, and keep the ground moist until the roots take. [4]
- Plant in spring, after frost, in a bed that drains.
- Set the root ball even with the surrounding soil. Do not bury the stem deeper than it grew in the pot.
- Space plants three to six feet apart, depending on the size you want the hedge or group to reach.
- Water to settle the soil, then keep the ground moist through the first season. Do not plant into a low spot that stays wet.
Marble Queen uses that same depth and spacing. It is the cream-and-green form of the same shrub, not a second kind of care, and it stays a bit shorter than a green plant in shelter.
How far apart do I plant it?
Three to six feet apart, at the same depth as the nursery pot.
Clip it in spring, or twice a year if it gets open
Mirror plant takes a hard clip, which is why it makes a coastal hedge. Clip in spring as new growth starts. If the shrub opens up later, clip it again during the growing season.
- Clip in spring to the height and width you want.
- If the shrub gets open or scraggly, clip it a second time during the growing season.
- Cut back into green wood. The shrub fills in from a hard clip better than from a long stretch of neglect.
- Do not wait until the plant is a thin, open screen and then expect one cut to thicken it overnight.
Not pittosporum — and not marble queen pothos or spotted laurel
Marble Queen on a Coprosma tag is this cream-and-green shrub. Marble Queen on a pothos tag is Epipremnum, a trailing houseplant for bright indoor light — see How to Grow Pothos. Japanese pittosporum is a different glossy hedge with leathery leaves and orange-blossom flowers — see How to Grow Pittosporum.
Spotted laurel, also sold as gold dust plant or Japanese laurel, is Aucuba, a shade shrub with gold-marked leaves — see How to Grow Spotted Laurel. Mirror-leaf viburnum is Chindo viburnum, not this New Zealand shrub — see How to Grow Viburnums. Variegated euonymus and holly are other shiny hedges — see How to Grow Euonymus and How to Grow Holly. New Zealand laurel is also used for karaka, a different tree. If the tag says mirror plant and the leaves are thick, opposite, and polished, you still have Coprosma.
Is marble queen pothos the same plant?
No. Marble queen pothos is a trailing houseplant. Marble Queen mirror plant is Coprosma, a coastal shrub.
Is this pittosporum?
No. Pittosporum is a different glossy hedge. Mirror plant is Coprosma, grown for polished leaves in salt wind.
Set mirror plant in full sun on the coast, or in light shade inland, in soil that drains.
FAQ
Can I root a cutting?
Yes. Take a cutting of the current year's wood in fall and stick it in a mix that drains. A named leaf pattern stays true from a cutting.
Is Marble Queen a different plant?
No. Marble Queen is mirror plant with cream-and-green leaves. Use the same sun, drain, and spacing. Do not confuse it with marble queen pothos.
Do I need a male and a female?
Only if you want orange fruit. Most people grow this shrub for the leaves. A female sets fruit only when a male is nearby.
Will it take a hard freeze?
No. It is a mild-winter shrub. Grow it outdoors where winters stay mild, or keep it in a pot you can move inside.
Recommended plants
References
- [1] San Marcos Growers -
https://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=428 - [2] Fine Gardening -
https://www.finegardening.com/article/reflecting-on-mirror-plants - [3] Mississippi State University Extension -
https://extension.msstate.edu/news/southern-gardening/2022/unique-coprosma-offers-garden-patio-possibilities - [4] Gardening Know How -
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/mirror-plant/growing-mirror-plants.htm
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors