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Identification
The mountain wine berry is a low-growing shrub, which can grow to be 2m tall. The branches and trunk are a reddish brown colour with green leaves that have clear veins on the under side of the leaf. The leaves of the plant are opposite. It has a dark green colour on the top of the leaf, with a lighter green colour under the leaf. Alongside this the veins are visible on the leaves. The juvenile leaves are thinner as well as being serrated. The flowers of this plant are 2-3mm in diameter and are solitary, in opposite pairs or in 3-6 flowered cymes. The petals are a white to light pink and red in colour. Alongside this it has a seeded-fleshy berry, it can come in a range of colours including white, pale pink, bright red to black and the size ranges between 3-4mm in diameter.

Natural Global Range
The mountain wineberry is endemic to New Zealand.

New Zealand Range
The mountain wineberry can be found within the North Island, South Island and Stewart Island. Aristotelia fruticosa can be found throughout these islands but can be found more abundant in some areas more than others. As this plant thrives in subalpine areas it is found around the alpines along the centre of the South Island and the centre and lower North Island.

Habitat Preference
The preferred habitat of Aristotelia fruticosa is subalpine and shrubland but is more abundant in higher elevations.

Life Cycle/Phenology
Artistotelia fruiticosa use frugivores for seed dispersal. This allows animals to eat the fruit that the plant produces and have the animals disperse the seeds of the fruit. Artistotelia fruiticosa flowers through October into December. Following this the plant will fruit from November until April.

Artistotelia fruiticosa prefers alpine soils which are low in nutrients.

Predators, Parasites, and Diseases
The mountain wine berry is consumed by herbivorous animals which live in subalpine areas.