Indigo

This big shrub grows up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 184 years old. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many thick, curved stems covered in delicate, smooth, brown-green bark, and the wood inside is pale brown-grey.

The branches trail down across the ground with dozens of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of small, wide, leaves with rounded edges. The leaves themselves are cream with orange tips, delicate and leathery.

In late spring it produces balls of tiny, olive blossoms with many layers of petals. They are hardy and have a weak scent that smells like paint.

In late autumn tiny circular fruits ripen. The smooth indigo skin is thin and edible when boiled; it is sour, and the slightly crunchy crimson flesh is very spicy and very juicy. The yellow seed is tiny and sits at the top of the fruit.