Goldenvine

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 113 years old. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has several long and flexible, straight stems covered in thick, silky, gray bark, and the wood inside is yellow.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with very large amounts of miniature, asymmetrical, leaves with ripped edges. The leaves themselves are gold and blood red, sturdy and smooth.

In mid-spring it produces hundreds of small, silver blossoms with pleated petals. They fall easily and have an overpowering scent that smells like apple.

In midwinter stiff, pointed fruits ripen. The sticky violet skin is thick and inedible, and the soft olive flesh is bitter and savoury and oily. The light brown seeds are large and are scattered throughout the fruit.