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Ambervine

Shrub type: Deciduous (Stores water in its stem)

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 155 years old. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many stocky, wavy stems covered in thin, smooth, pine-coloured bark, and the wood inside is yellow.

The branches are very long, thin and wispy with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of giant, asymmetrical, leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are solid orange with amber streaks, delicate and rough.

In mid-spring it produces copious amounts of tiny, violet blossoms with sickle shaped petals. They fall easily and have a scent whose strength depends on external factors, such as soil quality and rain frequency that smells like petrol.

In late winter stiff, pointed fruits ripen. The hairy pink skin is thin and salty, and the slightly crunchy sky blue flesh is bitter and very juicy. The deep orange seed is very large and sits at the top of the fruit.

It is difficult to kill and will quickly regrow if it falls or if its limbs are knocked off.
It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles