Deciduous small tree or shrub, usually multi-stemmed, with an untidy, rounded crown formed by tangled, drooping branches. Leaves alternate but clustered at branch tips, smooth or stiff hairy, grey-green. Flowers small (~7 mm), pale mauve, blue or white, sweetly scented, appearing in spring. Fruits round, fleshy, orange to red turning black when ripe, eaten by wild animals. Parasitic mistletoe (Viscum rotundifolium) often present. Valued for wildlife attraction, traditional uses, and as a garden feature or barrier.
Nectar- and pollen-rich flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinators, supporting insectivorous birds. Fruits are eaten by frugivorous birds and mammals, aiding seed dispersal. Provides shelter and forms dense thickets useful for wildlife cover. Parasitic plants like mistletoe (Viscum rotundifolium) commonly occur on it, adding to biodiversity complexity.
Flowers in dense clusters, pale mauve/blue/white, ~7 mm diameter, sweetly scented; bloom in spring. Fruits fleshy, orange-red turning black, 5 – 7 mm diameter, edible to wildlife. Seed dispersal mainly by birds and mammals.
Important food source for frugivorous birds; flowers attract nectar-feeding birds; dense branching provides shelter and nesting sites.
Collect ripe fruits when black; remove pulp; sow fresh in well-drained soil; germination moderate to good; no special dormancy reported.
Difficult; propagation mainly by seed.
Used medicinally: powdered roots to treat small skin cuts and gall sickness in cattle. Cultural uses include hunting charms, rainmaking, protection of huts and crops. Branches used for bows and baskets due to strength and flexibility. No known toxicity to livestock.
