Aquamarine

This large shrub grows up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall and lives for around 37 years. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has several narrow, angular stems covered in thin, silky, dark green bark, and the wood inside is burgundy-brown.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with dozens of twigs that and are covered with small amounts of miniature, thin, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are solid black or aquamarine, with blue streaks, light and rough.

In mid-summer it produces hundreds of giant, aquamarine blossoms with cylindrical shaped petals. They fall easily and have an intense scent that smells like wet dog.

In midwinter spherical fruits ripen. The waxy faded orange skin is thin and inedible, and the crunchy green flesh is salty and sticky. The olive seed is small and is in the centre of the fruit.