Melicytus alpinus or porcupine shrub is endemic to the South Island of New Zealand, and is found near sea-level to 900m asl in fellfield and rocky places in mountain top subalpine regions east of the Main Divide, and open grassland areas from Marlborough soth to Otago. This shrub has an unusual appearance with somewhat interlacing branches and rather hard spine-like tips to its branchlets. A depressed or rounded compact shrub of 30 to 60cm's tall with small leaves, it is often sprawled against rocks and stones, but can create a hemi-spherical shape when grown in gardens. Once it has formed a dense bush with the spinose tips of the branchlets protruding from all sides of the bush its appearance gives that of a porcupine, hence its common name. It has tiny white bell shaped flowers on the undersides of its branches in October-November followed by white to dull blue berries. A very hardy shrub, it is best grown in a sunny position with good drainage, and makes a good addition to a rock garden or to a border.