Tree Violet

A spreading shrub with fine foliage and a density of slender stems. The sweet fragrance emanating from flowers in late-winter and spring is often a mystery to the gardener as the flowers are tiny, hanging below stems and easily missed.

A fabulous, long-lived shrub for screening, hedging and for providing refuge and nesting sites for small birds. Drought tolerant but growth is much more vigorous in fertile sites with adequate soil moisture.  Branchlets taper to spine-like tips, providing extra protection for birds, but may also prick the unwary gardener. Flowers provide nectar and pollen for a wide variety of native pollinators including native bees, butterflies and beetles. The round berries are eaten by small birds and lizards. From the same family as the Sweet Violet.