Blackbell

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 194 years old. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has several very thick, angular stems covered in very thick, smooth, black bark, and the wood inside is black with white speckles.

The branches trail down to the ground with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of miniature, sickle shaped, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are solid dark brown or lilac, with purple zig-zags, hardy and fuzzy.

It produces hundreds of small, dark blue flowers with broad, flat petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They are hardy and have a delicate scent that smells like faeces. In midwinter it forms giantgrey seed pods.