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Aquamarine

Shrub type: Coniferous (Stores water in its leaves)

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 145 years old. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has several flexible, twisting stems covered in fine, waxy, dark green bark, and the wood inside is brown.

The branches are short, rigid and upright with dozens of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of small, long, narrow, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are generally light grey, hardy and sticky.

In late summer it produces hundreds of large, slate blossoms with asymmetrical petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They are hardy and have the faintest scent that smells like chocolate.

In late winter cuboid fruits ripen. The fuzzy aquamarine skin is thin and inedible, and the very soft turquoise flesh is savoury and very dry. The gold seed is very large and sits at the end of the fruit.

It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles
It aggressively steals nutrients from other large plants (but not each other).
It has impressive regenerative properties.