Bluebell

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 136 years old. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many slender, curved stems covered in wrinkled, dark green bark, and the wood inside is mahogany-coloured.

The branches trail down across the ground that and are covered with large amounts of huge, long, tapering, leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are hazel with white tips, frail and waxy.

In late spring it produces copious amounts of giant, bold blue blossoms with V-shaped shaped petals. They are hardy and have a delicate scent that smells like rainy days.

In midwinter small spherical fruits ripen. The rubbery crimson skin is delicate and inedible, and the very soft light grey flesh is sour and savoury and powdery. The red seed is tiny and sits at the top of the fruit.