Plocama pendula

The balo is an endemic species of the Canary Islands. It is a large, evergreen, branching shrub, up to 4 meters tall, with very dense, light green foliage. Its young branches and leaves are pendulous, hence its specific epithet (pendula). Its leaves are filiform (thread-like). The white flowers are arranged at the tips of the branches. The fruits are small, spherical, malodorous berries that become translucent and then black when dry. They are highly palatable to lizards, which are their dispersal vectors. It is a host for Orious, a bug commonly used in agriculture as a biological insecticide to control thrips, thus helping to control other insects that may affect the balo.