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Clinging Crimson

Shrub type: Deciduous (Grows upwards by clinging to almost any surface.)

This large shrub grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and lives for around 40 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous slender, straight stems covered in thick, ridged, burgundy and brown bark, and the wood inside is pine-coloured.

The branches trail down across the ground with dozens of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of miniature, very thin, leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are crimson on the sides and deep yellow at the center, flimsy and clammy.

It produces several large, azure flowers with perforated petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They are hardy and have a weak scent that smells like grass cuttings. In mid-autumn it forms medium-sizedpink aril (seeds with fleshy covers).

It is suitable for use as a construction material
Several parts of the cactus have medicinal properties.
It is almost impossible to grow from cuttings.