Carameltwig

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 28 years. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous long and flexible, angular stems covered in paper-thin, waxy, silver and white bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches are short, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with small bunches of small, wide, leaves with wavy edges. The leaves themselves are found in red, caramel and dark brown varieties, flimsy and soft.

In late spring it produces handfuls of large, caramel blossoms with triangular shaped petals. They are hardy and have a powerful scent that smells like grass cuttings.

In midwinter triangular fruits ripen. The hairy crimson skin is thin and edible when roasted; it is spicy, and the slightly crunchy blue flesh is spicy and savoury and powdery. The gold seeds are small and are dotted around on the skin of the fruit.