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Magenta

Shrub type: Deciduous (Stores water in its stem)

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 141 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many slender, crooked stems covered in cracked, light gray bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches trail down across the ground with dozens of twigs that and are covered with sparse amounts of tiny, asymmetrical, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are either magenta or pink, with bright orange patches, flimsy and covered in fine hairs.

In early spring it produces a thick sheet of large, sky blue blossoms with wide petals. They fall easily and have a strong scent that smells like freshly baked bread.

In late autumn tiny pleated fruits ripen. The crispy faded purple skin is thin and inedible, and the slightly crunchy green flesh is spicy and sticky. The slate seed is tiny and is in the centre of the fruit.

It makes a distinctive sound when the wind blows through it.
It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles