Black Silkfern

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 179 years old. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of narrow, wavy stems covered in delicate, silky, black bark, and the wood inside is mahogany-coloured.

The branches are short stubs with thousands of twigs that and are covered with very large amounts of giant, very narrow and elongated, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are found in gentle purple, black and florescent orange varieties, rigid and leathery.

In early spring it produces handfuls of large, bright yellow flowers with circular shaped petals. They fall easily and have a scent that varies in strength that smells like honeysuckle.