Spiky drought tolerant sculptural shrub

Melicytus alpinus is an almost leafless slow-growing native shrub of coastal and/or dry alpine areas of the southern North Island and the South Island.

This unusual dense, flattened, sprawling and very hardy shrub really does resemble a porcupine. Its' many thick tapering grey speckled branches bear clusters of small dark green oval leaves. The short stiff interlaced leafless branchlets even have spikey tips. In spring to early summer it produces amongst its small weather resistant leathery leaves masses of tiny pendulous cream flowers followed by relatively sizeable blue-splashed white berries.

Found in the wild on very light sand or rocky soils, or on rock outcrops in full sun though it grows on any well-drained soil. Hardy.

It grows up to a height go 80cm.

https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora...

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