Blackbell

This average-sized shrub grows up to 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall and lives for around 34 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has several thick, wonky stems covered in hard, knobbly, black with white speckled bark, and the wood inside is white with black speckles.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of large, long, tapering, leaves with ripped edges. The leaves themselves are silver and yellow, delicate and leathery.

In mid-spring it produces thousands of large, indigo blossoms with perforated petals with a bell-shaped floral cup. They are very delicate and have a fairly strong scent that smells like petrol.

In midwinter long, curved fruits ripen. The sticky aquamarine skin is peel-able and overwhelmingly sweet, and the crunchy bronze flesh is sweet and spicy and very dry. The gold seeds are tiny and are located in the centre of the fruit.