Crimson Bellbush

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 84 years. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has many slender, straight stems covered in silky, burgundy and brown bark, and the wood inside is gray.

The branches are short stubs with dozens of twigs that and are covered with small amounts of huge, thin, leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are either violet, or crimson with deep red splotches, durable and crispy.

In early summer it produces a thick sheet of tiny, grey blossoms with sickle shaped petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They are hardy and have a scent that varies in strength that smells like old shoes.

In early autumn tiny stiff, pointed fruits ripen. The fuzzy amber skin is thick and inedible, and the very soft crimson flesh is spicy and savoury and juicy. The gentle green seed is tiny and sits at the top of the fruit.