Silverneedle Bush

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 2 feet (61.0 cm) tall and lives for around 46 years. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many slender, straight stems covered in hard, rough, silver and white bark, and the wood inside is mahogany-coloured.

The branches trail down to the ground with thousands of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of giant, needle-like, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are blue and blue, flimsy and clammy.

In mid-spring it produces balls of tiny, drab red blossoms with teardrop-shaped petals. They fall easily and have a fairly strong scent that smells like a man.

In midwinter needle-like fruits ripen. The crispy silver skin is stretchy and inedible, and the soft vivid green flesh is spicy and salty and very dry. The light brown seeds are tiny and are bunched at the bottom of the fruit.