Bluebrush

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 3 feet (91.4 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 144 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of knobbly, twisting stems covered in knobbly, pine-coloured bark, and the wood inside is silver.

The branches are long, thin and wispy with thousands of twigs that and are covered with copious amounts of miniature, finger-like, leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are sky blue and washed-out green, strong and waxy.

In early summer it produces lots of medium-sized, red flowers with pleated petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They are hardy and have an overpowering scent that smells like cigarette smoke.