Aquamarine Bellflower

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 33 years. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has several stocky, slanted stems covered in paper-thin, knobbly, brown and grey bark, and the wood inside is brown.

The branches are short stubs with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of large, long, narrow, leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are generally hazel, sturdy and rough.

In early spring it produces dozens of medium-sized, aquamarine blossoms with long, tapering petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They are sturdy and have a weak scent that smells like cheap aftershave.

In early winter tiny pleated fruits ripen. The smooth olive skin is delicate and inedible, and the crunchy crimson flesh is extremely spicy and very dry. The cream seeds are small and are scattered throughout the fruit.