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Lilac

Flower type: Biennial (Stores water in the thickened base of its stem)

This average-sized flower grows up to 1.7 feet (51 cm) tall. Its yellow-green stem is thick, and the huge, gray-green leaves are wide with irregular edges. The leaves alternate on the stem.

5 to 11 tiny flowers grow on alternate sides up the length of the stem. The flowers are 5 cm (2.0 inches) wide, with solid lilac petals decorated with bronze dots and a grey central disk. The flower head is shaped like a tube with 5 raised, round-tipped petals. They fall easily.

It has a scent that varies in strength that smells like faeces, and it has lots of pollen. It is a self-pollinator, but is also visited by a variety of insects.

The colour changes depends on whether the soil is acidic or alkaline.
It is suitable for making baskets and the like