Grewia robusta is an excellent shrub for arid regions of the country, being restricted to parts of the Karoo and Eastern Cape, in dry scrub, stony slopes and valley bushveld. Another pink flowering variety, the bright flowers of this 3m hardy shrub have a sweet scent. The trunk is multi-stemmed with a grey, sometimes spiny bark. Older stems take on a rounder shape. Leaves are fairly small, 113-25 x 10-20 mm in size, a shiny dark green above, and pale grey-green under surface, and lightly hairy. Leaves are typically toothed. Flowers are small and pink, occurring singly along the branches from August through to December. Fruits are round, reddish brown with 2 to 4 lobes. Flowers attract insects and birds, is drought and frost tolerant and makes an excellent screen in full sun to semi-shade areas. For those who have been trying unsuccessfully to grow G. occidentalis in frosty regions, this is a better option. G. occidentalis is frost hardy but only if sourced from a nursery that experiences the same temperatures. Buying from a nursery where the plant has not had a chance to harden is not recommended. Image 1: By Keith Stannard (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons; Image 2 By Abu Shawka (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons