Magenta Nightbloomer

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 25 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has many stocky, straight stems covered in hard, wrinkled, black with white speckled bark, and the wood inside is burgundy-brown.

The branches trail down across the ground with thousands of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of giant, 4 pointed, leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are either vivid purple, or magenta with blue lines, tough and smooth.

In late spring it produces thick bunches of giant, aquamarine blossoms with 8 circular shaped petals. They detach easily and have a fairly strong scent that smells like paint.

In late autumn long, straight fruits ripen. The fuzzy yellow skin is delicate and inedible, and the slightly crunchy magenta flesh is sour and juicy. The lime seed is large and sits at the top of the fruit.