Corokia
( kor - ROH - kee - uh )
At-A-Glance InformationCorokia is an evergreen shrub that needs full sun or partial shade and moderate water. Native to a variety of growing habitats across New Zealand, this shrub is known for its zig-zag branching habit. Small yellow flowers appear before red, orange or yellow fruits. These are great for your yard at nighttime, when lit from the bottom they show off their unique branching pattern and cast interesting shadows on walls and ceilings.
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corokia Species and Varietals
The genus Corokia, first described in 1839, includes 6 distinct species and is a member of the Argophyllaceae family. Corokia grows best in zones 4-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.
Corokia cotoneaster (Wire-Netting Bush, Korokio) This is a slow-growing species first described in 1846 by French naval surgeon and naturalist Etienne Raoul. They eventually reach 8-10 feet tall and just as wide. Reddish black, contorted branches with glossy green leaves that are white underneath. Yellow small flowers bloom from December to January, and are followed by orange or red fruit. Variety 'Little Prince' gets to four feet tall and has bright orange fruit. |
Corokia x virgata This shrub has a more erect growth, and slowly reaches 10 feet tall and 6 feet wide, albeit slowly. Can be used in pots, as accent plants, or as a hedge or screen. Varieties include 'Red Wonder' (with red fruits), 'Yellow Wonder' (with yellow fruits), 'Bronze King' (with bronze leaves), 'Bronze Lady' (with dark bronze foliage and bright red fruit), and 'Sunsplash' (bronze stems and bright green leaves with creamy edges). |
Caring for and pruning corokia shrubs
Plant Corokia in late spring to early summertime in a spot that receives full sun and has well-draining but moist soil. These shrubs can tolerate wind (but not ocean spray). Corokias are considered low-maintenance plants that are commonly used as hedges, requiring little water once established. Younger plants should be given more water, especially during the warmer months of the year. Ensure that Corokia shrubs can live for about 30 years if the right conditions are met. They are not cold-hardy, preferring temperatures that stay between 35 and 59 degrees Fahrenheit; hard frosts will kill them. During the plant's active growing time, feed with a balanced liquid fertilizer 2-3 times per month to support new growth. Corokia can tolerate hard pruning carried out towards the end of the blooming season.
Propagation
Corokia can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your shrub, follow the instructions below:
Propagating Corokia by Cutting
Propagating Corokia by Seed
Propagating Corokia by Cutting
- Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand.
- In spring or early summertime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 6 inch portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip the leaves off of the lower half. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
- Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth on your propagated Abutilon, you'll know you have roots.
- Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.
Propagating Corokia by Seed
- Keep in mind that the Corokia plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. If you don't have any potting medium on hand, you can make some. Just mix together equal parts (by volume) moss peat and horticultural-grade sand or grit sand. You will also, after a few weeks, need individual 3-inch pots for each seedling that grows.
- Harvest your seeds. The seed pods on Corokia plants are pretty easy to spot, they're large and dangle from the branches, left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will begin to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
- Cold-stratify your seeds in a sealed container in the refrigerator, keeping them moist but not wet by inserting a paper towel with the seeds and spraying it from time to time with your spray bottle. After about four weeks, take your seeds out of the refrigerator and allow them to dry out completely.
- Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
- Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.
Problems and Pests
Although Corokia shrubs are generally pest and disease-resistant, they can suffer from root rot if their roots are allowed to sit in water for too long. For more information on this issue, including how to prevent and eradicate it, consult the links below.
Gallery
Videos
A short video about Corokia cotoneaster.
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How to make a Corokia bonsai specimen.
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Resources
The New Sunset Western Garden Book: The Ultimate Gardening Guide (2012) - Page 264, Corokia
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