Twisting Pinevine

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and lives for around 19 years. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous very thick, twisting stems covered in thin, waxy, pine-coloured bark, and the wood inside is pale brown-grey.

The branches trail down to the ground with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with very large amounts of miniature, wispy, leaves with irregular edges. The leaves themselves are a shade of emerald that gradient shifts to cream at the top, light and smooth.

In late summer it produces many balls of large, indigo blossoms with teardrop-shaped shaped petals. They fall easily and have an overpowering scent that smells like pepper.

In early winter small cuboid fruits ripen. The smooth sky blue skin is thick and inedible, and the crunchy slate flesh is savoury and dry. The olive seeds are tiny and are dotted around on the skin of the fruit.