Silverbark Conifer

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 21 years. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many stocky, wonky stems covered in paper-thin, wrinkled, silver and white bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches are very long and thin with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of large, fan-like, leaves with irregular edges. The leaves themselves are a shade of orange-yellow that gradient shifts to gentle purple at the top, rigid and waxy.

In early summer it produces lots of medium-sized, amber blossoms with spear shaped petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They are sturdy and have a scent that varies in strength that smells like vomit.

In late autumn small 7 pointed fruits ripen. The smooth azure skin is tough and edible when cooked; it is bitter, and the slightly crunchy silver flesh is bitter and very juicy. The grey seed is large and is in the centre of the fruit.