It is native to southeastern Africa and Madagascar, where it generally occurs gregariously on rocky hillsides, particularly in hot and dry situations.

South African tourist operators in Mozambique used it extensively for building structures near or in sea water.

It is commonly found at altitudes up to 1000 m. It forms dense shrub-like thickets and thrives in hot and dry climates with well drained soils, especially on rocky hillsides or along seasonal watercourses.

[3] Pedicels are 1–1.5 cm long, extending to up to 3 cm long in fruit; sepals 7–8 × 2–2.5 mm and are an ovate-leaf shape, blunt tapering or sometimes split at apex, minutely ruffled with fine hairs on edge and base; otherwise smooth.

[4] Ovary is c. 3 mm in diameter, oval in shape, densely covered in fine white woolly hairs.

[4] Styles c. 7 mm long with fine hair covering, stigmas are globe shaped.

[4] The fruit is bright green at first and ripens to a light yellow or reddish brown and is covered in fine bristle-like hairs.