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Copperleaf

Shrub type: Deciduous (Evergreen - keeps its leaves all year round)

This big shrub grows up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 156 years old. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has several slender, twisting stems covered in paper-thin, silky, brown-green bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches are long and thin with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of huge, spear shaped, leaves with ripped edges. The leaves themselves are pink on the sides and copper at the center, rigid and crispy.

In mid-spring it produces several medium-sized, light grey blossoms with circular petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They are very delicate and have the faintest scent that smells like fruity.

In late autumn small oval fruits ripen. The sticky hazel skin is peel-able and inedible, and the crunchy pink flesh is sweet and juicy. The silver seeds are tiny and are scattered throughout the fruit.

It actively smothers and kills off other plants.
It grows well in the sun and full shade.
It is suitable for making strong rope