Melastome Malabathricum subsp Malabathricm was previously known as Melastoma affine or the Blue Tongue is a medium sized shrub best suited to tropical and sub-tropical gardens.
It bears dark green, leathery, ovate shaped leaves around 8-10cms long and around 3cms wide and are covered in hair and have fine veins.
Short lived, mauve, five petalled flowers are produced in spring and summer at the end of the branchlets and are pollinated by bees.
The resultant fruits are around 8cms long, purple to black in colour and contain a seed-filled, purple flesh which is edible but does stain tongues blue, hence its common name.
These make nice ornamental specimens and attract plenty of pollen feeders to your garden.
They go well in pots and larger tubs.
The flowers resemble those of the Tibouchina.