The round leaves of this small native shrub are dark brown, almost black in winter, and so shiny and bright that they look as if they’ve been polished. This is a fascinating shrub for a sunny situation. It responds well to trimming and makes a striking low hedge or topiary subject. In containers it’s intriguing - try underplanting it with mossy, native, deep green scleranthus biflorus, or mat forming Sedum ‘Acupulco’, and putting it in a colourful container.

In the garden it’s dramatic when contrasted with succulents and the purple cabbage tree Cordyline ‘Purple Tower’, or try it with bronze grasses, or bold foliage perennials such as Canna ‘Tropicanna’, or with orange daylilies or low growing single flowered crimson dahlias. The possibilities go on and on.