If regularly trimmed, makes decorative shrub. Dense screening plant makes dark background for plants with showy flowers. Can reach 60 feet high in native lands, but seldom reaches 10 feet high when grown in a pot in cooler climates. Spreads to 10-15 feet. Both leaves and wood are strongly aromatic.
Stems are tough and woody and have gray bark.
Flowers appear in late spring at the base of the leaf stem, and are small, yellow and insignificant. Susceptible to scale infestations. Harvest leaves to use whole in meat dishes, stews and soups. You can also dry and pulverize the leaves to use as a powder in cooking. Use whole leaves in potpourri and herbal wreaths.