Waterstem

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 151 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous very thick, wonky stems covered in knobbly, pine-coloured bark, and the wood inside is burgundy.

The branches are short, thin and wispy with dozens of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of miniature, 2 pointed, leaves with wavy edges. The leaves themselves are generally washed-out green, frail and covered in fine hairs.

It produces many bunches of large, purple flowers with kidney-shaped petals. They are hardy and have a powerful scent that smells like damp. In late autumn it forms smallblack, tough-shelled seeds.