Mirror bush (Coprosma repens)

Also known as: looking-glass bush, coprosma, Taupata

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Mirror bush is a shrub or small tree with orange to red fruit. It can outcompete some native plants.

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How does this weed affect you?

Mirror bush can outcompete native plants.

It is a particular threat to native current bushes (Coprosma species) on Lord Howe Island.

What does it look like?

Mirror bush is a low growing shrub or small tree up to 8 m tall.

Leaves are:

dark green and shiny above
paler and dull below with prominent small pits where the main veins join (domatia)
2–8 cm long and 1–5 cm wide
broadly oblong
thick, slightly fleshy and hairless
on short stalks up to 1.6 cm long.

Flowers are:

greenish
small and in clusters
present from spring to summer

Male and female flowers are usually on different trees, they are rarely on the same plant.

Male flowers:

are funnel shaped (about 5 mm long) with 4-5 petals (also about 5 mm long)
have white stamens protruding past the petals
are in clusters of 3-20 flowers

Female flowers are:

tubular (about 3 mm long) with very small petals less than 3 mm long
usually in clusters of 3 flowers

Fruit are:

orange to red when ripe
up to 1 cm long
fleshy with 1 or 2 seeds
oval or rounded, maybe slightly flattened.

Stems are:

short
smooth, slightly hairy and light green to silver grey when young
rough, hairless and grey or brown when older.

Similar looking plants

Mirror bush looks similar to native species of Coprosma.

Coffee-berry (Coprosma hirtella) is a native plant. It is shorter (only up to 2 m tall) and the leaves are smaller (up to 5 cm long and 2.5 cm wide). The leaves are leathery rather than fleshy and there is either no domatia, or if present, they are difficult to see. These plants usually grow on damp sites at high altitude.
There are 5 other native Coprosma species on mainland NSW. All have smaller leaves less than 2 cm long and 6 mm wide and their flowers are not in clusters. The most widespread, small leaved native species is prickly current bush Coprosma quadrifida.
Lord Howe Island has 7 native Coprosmaspecies. Identification information is available on PlantNET.

Where is it found?

In NSW, Mirror bush has been found in the Greater Sydney and South East regions. Plants were also found on Lord Howe Island.

Mirror bush is native to New Zealand. It was introduced to Australia as a garden plant.

What type of environment does it grow in?

Mirror bush tolerates drought, salt spray, frost, full sun and shaded sites. It grows in a wide variety of soil types including well drained coastal sands, shallow rocky soils and heavy wet clays. Mirror bush grows in:

coastal areas including dunes and bushland
forests and woodlands with more than 600 mm annual rainfall
wetlands
rocky outcrops.

How does it spread?

By seed

Mirror bush spreads by seed. Seeds are dispersed by birds, animals and by people dumping garden waste.

References

Brook, T. S., Hutton, I. J., Papadopulos, A. S., Elkan, L., Wilson, T. C., Bower, S., ... & Savolainen, V. (2025). Two new species of Currant Bush Coprosma (Rubiaceae) from an endemic radiation on Lord Howe Island. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, boaf112.

de Lange, P.J. (2026): Coprosma repens Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 18 June 2026 from: https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/coprosma-repens/

Muyt, A. (2001). Bush invaders of South-East Australia: a guide to the identification and control of environmental weeds found in South-East Australia. RG and FJ Richardson.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney. Retrieved 18 June 2026 from: http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au

More information

Control

Physical removal

Hand-pull or dig out small plants. Make sure all of the roots are dug out so they do not reshoot.

Herbicide control

Spot spraying

Spraying is best for seedlings or small plants where there are no desirable plants nearby. Apply to all foliage to the point of visible wetness. Collect and dispose of fruit as spraying will not kill the fruit.

Splatter gun

Splatter-guns use small amounts of concentrated herbicide. They spray large droplets that limit spray drift. They are useful for very dense infestations of weeds that are difficult to reach.

Weed wipers

Wipers or wands apply herbicide directly onto leaves. This can better target the chemical and minimise damage to other species.

Herbicide options

WARNING - ALWAYS READ THE LABEL
Users of agricultural or veterinary chemical products must always read the label and any permit, before using the product, and strictly comply with the directions on the label and the conditions of any permit. Users are not absolved from compliance with the directions on the label or the conditions of the permit by reason of any statement made or not made in this information. To view permits or product labels go to the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority website www.apvma.gov.au

See Using herbicides for more information.

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 500 mL to 1 L per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 300 to 600 mL per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 9 parts water
Comments: Splatter gun
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: One part product to 50 parts water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 - 20 g per 100 L water plus surfactant
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.

For technical advice and assistance with identification please contact your local council weeds officer.

Reviewed 2026