Clinging Conifer

This small fruit tree grows up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall and lives for up to 35 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 47 years old. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has a slender, straight trunk covered in hard, ridged, dark gray bark, and inside, the light wood is silver.

The tangled mess of branches trail down towards the ground and are covered with large amounts of small, very narrow and elongated leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are found in magenta, brown and orange varieties.

In early spring, it produces thick bunches of medium-sized, black blossoms with slender, pointed petals with a tube-like floral cup. They fall easily and have a fairly strong scent that smells like new books.

In late autumn it produces small, oval fruit. The rubbery dark green skin is delicate and edible when roasted; it is savoury, and the slightly crunchy washed-out blue flesh is sweet and spicy and dry. The florescent yellow seeds are tiny and are bunched at the bottom of the fruit.

The roots are shallow and widely spread, and overall the tree is rigid and brittle.

Forests of this species feature trees spaced far apart, with the space between filled with undergrowth.