Unlike soft, fuzzy leaves, the foliage has a distinctly tacky or sticky, resinous texture when touched. Brushing against the plant releases a sharp, highly pungent balsamic or heavy pine-and-citrus fragrance.
It produces small clusters of dainty, watercolor-pale mauve or pink flowers from spring through autumn. In a unique floral twist, the two upper petals are so deeply divided that they give the structural illusion of having four upper petals, all decorated with thin, reddish-crimson feathering.
This is a robust grower that forms a woody base and quickly develops an upright, bushy habit, typically growing 50 to 70 cm tall (though it can occasionally push much higher in specialized glasshouses).
