Blackbell

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 39 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of long and flexible, slanted stems covered in hard, silky, black with white speckled bark, and the wood inside is gray.

The branches are short and thin with thousands of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of small, very narrow and elongated, leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are dark brown with slate tips, delicate and leathery.

In mid-summer it produces dozens of medium-sized, turquoise blossoms with slender, pointed petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They are sturdy and have a strong scent that smells like pineapple.

In late autumn small triangular fruits ripen. The rubbery magenta skin is delicate and sweet, and the very soft blood red flesh is sweet and very juicy. The florescent orange seed is tiny and sits at the end of the fruit.