Taupata

Also known as: Coprosma repens,

NZ mirror plant

Soil: poor, dry, sandy

Climate: tolerates exposed, dry conditions (and drought once established), frost-tender

Feed value: berries are high in vitamin C, very popular with poultry and other birds when ripe, and foliage makes good livestock fodder

Taupata is a large shrub (2-5m high, up to 3m wide), which is a good windbreak.

Its shiny leaves reflect heat and light, making it fire-retardant.

It can grow up to 5m high in ideal conditions, but when pruned, it forms a dense hedge.

Taupata is prone to phytophthora (root rot), black spot, and rust in humid conditions.

The red-orange berries ripen in autumn.

You'll need to train poultry to eat tree foliage. Chop it up and offer it to them with other feed from a young age.