Lilac

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 163 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many thick, twisting stems covered in paper-thin, rough, pine-coloured bark, and the wood inside is gray.

The branches trail down towards the ground with dozens of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of miniature, needle-like, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are solid lilac with green edges, rigid and soft.

In late spring it produces dozens of small, peach blossoms with circular petals with a tube-like floral cup. They fall easily and have a fairly strong scent that smells like sweat.

In mid-autumn slender, 8 pointed fruits ripen. The fuzzy bright purple skin is thin and inedible, and the soft bright green flesh is savoury and dry. The lime seeds are small and are dotted around on the skin of the fruit.