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Silverbrush

Shrub type: Deciduous (Stores water in its stem)

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 65 years. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous narrow, twisting stems covered in thin, cracked, silver and white bark, and the wood inside is pine-coloured.

The branches trail down to the ground with thousands of twigs that and are covered with very large amounts of giant, needle-like, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are either yellow or turquoise, with blue edges, delicate and smooth.

It produces thousands of small, azure flowers with asymmetrical petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They detach easily and have a soft scent that smells like rainy days. In mid-autumn it forms medium-sizedsilver aril (seeds with fleshy covers).

It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles
The colour changes depends on whether the soil is acidic or alkaline.