The drought-hardy indigenous Crossberry (of Grewia occidentalis) continues to thrive in our garden.
The flowers, which vary from mauve to pink and have a cluster of prominent, bright yellow stamens, seemed to compete with the show of Pompon blossoms during December and now their four-lobed fruits are in various stages of ripening.
The fruit, which starts off green and turns to yellow and then reddish-brown remain on the tree for a long time. They appear from January until about May, when they tend to shrivel into brown raisin-like blobs on the plant.
Although I have not been tempted to taste them – yet – I read that the berries are edible for humans as well as for birds and animals.
Depending on where they have seeded themselves in my garden, Grewia occidentalis appears either as a scrambling, straggly looking shrub or as a small tree.
Something Over Tea 
Do I detect a new camera?
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No 🙂 I think my eyes are finally coming right after the operations last year 🙂 🙂
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That is good. I have noticed the difference in you last few posts
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hmmmm, they aren’t the most edible looking berries. I think I would be tempted to try them though. The blooms are so pretty with those bright yellow stamens sticking up out of the pink bed.
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These shrubs look lovely when covered in blossoms that attract butterflies, bees and birds.
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They don’t look very appealing but birds might ‘see’ it differently.
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I am sure they do!
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A very attractive flower, does it have a scent?
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Not really.
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Very pretty! And no doubt provides food for many animals.
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These bushes are visited by birds, beetles, butterflies and bees.
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I am surprised that the berries last on the tree if they are edible to birds.
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There is a lot of natural food out at the moment. Come winter, those brown, shrivelled berries will be gobbled up.
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Those flowers are lovely, but your word for the berries, “blobs,” seems a good one. I hope you do taste them, though. The arbutus fruit on my tree was said to be insipid, so I didn’t try it for many years. Then I read online that it tasted something like figs, so I ran out immediately to try one, and I loved them from that time forward — as long as they don’t get overripe.
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You are tempting me, Gretchen. Next time I see some really ripe looking ones I will give them a try!
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A beautiful plant and I think quite hardy too – the texture of the bark and leaves remind me of Ouhout.
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They do bear a passing similarity. I am surprised how many of these bushes have self-seeded themselves in our garden – although all tend to be rather scraggly and grow up through other trees for support.
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It certainly bears a pretty flower.
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They are rather lovely.
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Lovely flowers and so colourful!
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I am glad that you like them.
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