un cles . ▁Flow ering ▁occurs ▁throughout ▁spring ▁and ▁summer , ▁i . e . ▁August ▁to ▁January ▁in ▁its ▁native ▁South ▁Africa . ▁The ▁pod s ▁are ▁flat ▁and ▁sick le - sh aped , ▁each ▁containing ▁four ▁to ▁six ▁se eds , ▁and ▁are ▁formed ▁soon ▁after ▁flow ering . ▁In ▁war mer ▁clim ates ▁this ▁is ▁an ▁ever green , ▁but ▁it ▁may ▁develop ▁a ▁decid uous ▁habit ▁in ▁areas ▁where ▁are ▁subject ▁to ▁fro st s . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁D ip og on ▁l ign os us ▁has ▁a ▁native ▁range ▁that ▁covers ▁the ▁Western ▁Cape ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Cape ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁where ▁it ▁pre fers ▁mil der ▁areas ▁where ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁subject ed ▁to ▁fro st . ▁It ▁is ▁an ▁invas ive ▁we ed ▁in ▁Australia ▁and ▁New ▁Zealand ▁ ▁and ▁in ▁some ▁areas ▁control ▁of ▁D . ▁l ign os us ▁can ▁be ▁mand ated . ▁ ▁Hab itat ▁and ▁bi ology ▁In ▁South ▁Africa ▁D ip og on ▁l ign os us ▁has ▁a ▁natural ▁habitat ▁of ▁forest ▁marg ins ▁and ▁stream ▁banks , ▁where ▁it ▁clim bs ▁over ▁other ▁shr ubs ▁and ▁trees . ▁This ▁habitat ▁preference ▁is ▁rep licated ▁in ▁Australia ▁but ▁it ▁is ▁usually ▁found ▁close ▁to ▁human ▁habit ation . ▁It ▁pre fers ▁to ▁grow ▁in ▁moder ately ▁sh ady ▁sites ▁where ▁there ▁is ▁dense ▁veget ation ▁to ▁provide ▁support ▁for ▁its ▁tw ining ▁st ems . ▁ ▁The ▁se eds ▁are ▁explos ively ▁thrown ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁ri pe ▁pod