It is frequently to be found growing as a bush. The most tender shoots and the stalks have a reddish hue which contrasts with the shiny dark green of the leaves. The fruit is edible and takes two years to ripen, which is why we can see fruits and flowers together for a large part of the autumn and winter. They are found in schlerophyllic scrub land, in dense bushy formations, accompanied by olives, carobs, mastic and myrtle. They also grow in the undergrowth of more southerly holm oak groves.

Its fruit is edible and has had a wide range of medicinal uses throughout history. However, they have a toxic substance that may lead to indigestion if you eat a lot. This is why the Romans called the fruit unedo, meaning "only one".