Clinging Silverbrush

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 18 years. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many sturdy, straight stems covered in delicate, knobbly, gray bark, and the wood inside is silver.

The branches trail down to the ground that and are covered with small bunches of large, asymmetrical, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are brown on the sides and cream at the center, light and waxy.

In mid-spring it produces handfuls of giant, hazel blossoms with fan-like petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They detach easily and have a scent whose strength depends on external factors, such as soil quality and rain frequency that smells like soap.

In mid-autumn very large long, straight fruits ripen. The waxy red skin is delicate and inedible, and the slightly crunchy brown flesh is salty and sour and dry. The dark grey seeds are tiny and are scattered throughout the fruit.