A hardy montane shrub with small, glossy, dark green leaves and dense, twiggy growth. The leaves are oval-shaped, up to 2 centimetres long, with a smooth, shiny surface. The stems are slender and branching, forming a compact, rounded shrub. A plant that hugs the ground and holds its shape. The plant produces masses of small white flowers in spring, followed by bright red or orange berries that attract native birds. The berries are a valuable food source for birds in the mountains. The dense growth provides shelter for small birds and lizards. A plant that gives back to the mountain. Leafy Coprosma is extremely cold-hardy, tolerating heavy frost and snow. It grows in montane and subalpine forests, scrub, and rocky slopes. It is an excellent plant for alpine gardens and exposed sites. A plant for the places where other plants fail. The wood was used by Māori for small tools. The berries were eaten by birds and sometimes by people. The dense growth was noted as good shelter for birds. A practical plant, not just a pretty one. To find leafy Coprosma is to climb the mountains. Look for the small, glossy leaves, the bright red or orange berries. It is a shrub of the high places, a plant of the subalpine zone. The berries are a flash of colour in the green, a food for the birds of the mountains. The Maori name is recorded in some regions. The plant was known, used, and valued. A shrub of the high country, a plant that survives where others cannot. That is leafy Coprosma. Hardy, glossy, and berry-bearing. A shrub of the mountains, a shelter for birds, a flash of colour in the subalpine zone.