New Zealand Pepper Tree

A remarkably colourful evergreen for milder areas, Pseudowintera colorata is a small, slow-growing, evergreen shrub with a spreading, bushy habit. The elliptical leaves are leathery and aromatic; in the shade at the centre of the bush they are yellowish-green, but where the sun touches them, they are washed with red, with deep purplish-red margins and glaucous undersides, particularly striking in winter. In April and May, small, cup-shaped, greenish yellow flowers appear; these are followed in autumn by small round red berries, ripening to black. New Zealand pepper tree is a very ancient shrub; it is named for the pungency of the leaves, which were used by the Maori as a medicine. Only for milder areas.

Site: Sheltered
Soil: humus-rich, moist but well drained soil, preferably neutral or acid
Position: Colours best in light shade
Season of interest: All year
Hardiness: Half- hardy
Height: 3’ (90cm) Spread: 3’ (90cm), sometimes larger