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Crimson Bellflower

Shrub type: Deciduous (Stores water in its stem)

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 2 feet (61.0 cm) tall and lives for around 44 years. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many wide, twisting stems covered in silky, mahogany-coloured bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches are short, thin and wispy with thousands of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of tiny, asymmetrical, leaves with ripped edges. The leaves themselves are blood red on the edges and white at the center, durable and crispy.

In mid-spring it produces thousands of tiny, dark brown blossoms with stiff, pointed petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They fall easily and have a delicate scent that smells like candle wax.

In midwinter large long, narrow fruits ripen. The fuzzy caramel skin is tough and edible when cooked; it is extremely sour, and the very soft magenta flesh is spicy and juicy. The pastel yellow seed is large and sits at the end of the fruit.

The sap is orange.
It is suitable for making strong rope
It out-competes most other plants for nutrients and light.