Melicytus alpina

795-002D4 Melicytus alpina ( Porcupine shrub )
Joy Creek Photo Archive (c) all rights reserved	Melicytus alpina (formerly Hymenanthera alpina) is a curious shrub found mostly on the South Island of New Zealand. We have grown it for many years in difficult, low-water situations and always been pleased by its performance. Although it is evergreen, its foliage is often concentrated in the interior of the shrub with little on the upper parts of the stems. These upper gray stems are arching and spiny and give rise to the common name Porcupine shrub. Small whitish flowers bloom on the underside of the stems. By late fall, rounded white berries become visible, often blotched with a purple-gray spot. The leaves are mostly glossy and small but are very variable in size as they loosely whorl up the stems. Spring. 18-20 in. x 32 in. White flowers *Sun Zones 7, 8, 9, 10*