Coprosma propinqua or mikimiki is an endemic species with 2 varieties, Coprosma propinqua var. propinqua which is found in the North South and Stewart Islands, and Coprosma propinqua var. martini which is found on the Chatham Islands.
Coprosma propinqua var. propinqua is found from Mangonui southwards in the North, and throughout the South and Stewart Islands, in shrubland, scrub, forest margins, sometimes in forest, in scattered grassland, on rocky bluffs, on stony ground, and in wet sites from near sea-level to 850m asl. It is a very common, variable species that forms a bushy shrub which is known to grow from 1-6m high. It has wide-angled branches with grey or sometimes orange-brown bark, that bear clusters of pairs of variably shaped dark green glossy narrow leaves, with young leaves having dark stalk. Adult leaves often curved sideways, paler underneath and with 1-3 pits. It has small inconspicuous, unisexual, wind-pollinated flowers from July to November, but most from August to October, followed by fruit on female plants that are pale blue flecked with darker blue, occasionally yellow, or white flecked with blue, or overall dark blue, more or less translucent depending on the amount of dark pigment.