About Grewia occidentalis L.
Grewia occidentalis L. is a dense, attractive shrub or small tree that typically grows 3–10 m (10–33 ft) tall, and may sometimes grow in a scrambling habit. Its common names are crossberry and four-corner. It bears simple, shiny, deep green, slightly fleshy leaves that are around 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in) long, with small rounded teeth along the edges. Its sepals and petals form unusual double star-shaped flowers, which come in purple, mauve, pink, or rarely white, and measure 1.5–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) across. It flowers in summer, after which it produces four-lobed drupe fruits. These shiny reddish-brown berry-like fruits stay on the plant after they mature, and attract fruit-eating birds. Grewia occidentalis grows naturally across south-eastern Africa; its native range stretches from Cape Town along the coast to Mozambique, and extends inland to Zimbabwe. The native habitats of this species are extremely varied: it can be found in the arid karoo of western South Africa, on the Highveld, and throughout the Afromontane forests of the Drakensberg range along the eastern coastline.
