Clinging Lilac

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 195 years old. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of flexible, straight stems covered in waxy, gray bark, and the wood inside is burgundy-brown.

The branches trail down across the ground with dozens of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of giant, spear shaped, leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are either light grey, or magenta with blood red zig-zags, fairly frail and fuzzy.

In mid-summer it produces a handful of giant, lilac blossoms with needle-like petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They detach easily and have an overpowering scent that smells like rotten meat.

In early winter tiny fan-like fruits ripen. The fuzzy bronze skin is peel-able and sour, and the very soft magenta flesh is overwhelmingly bitter and oily. The brilliant yellow seeds are small and are scattered throughout the fruit.