The species is said to comprise three varieties, but four are listed:[1] Occurs from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, through KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mpumalanga,[3] Limpopo, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

[5] This species generally occurs in deciduous bushland and thickets, grassland with scattered trees, upland dry evergreen and riverine forest, and sometimes on termite-mounds.

zeyheri is found in forest, bushveld and woodland near the coast in KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape, South Africa.

elaeagnoides is found in Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Niger, Nigeria, Mali and the Gambia.

[2][3] The fragrant flowers are whitish[2] and produced on leafless side branchlets which resemble spikes or racemes.