Clinging Copperfruit

This short fruit tree grows up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and lives for up to 30 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 52 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a long and flexible, straight trunk covered in paper-thin, rough, dark brown bark, and inside, the very light wood is yellow-brown.

The small handful of branches trail down across the ground and are covered with large amounts of large, thin leaves with ripped edges. The leaves themselves are slate and orange.

In early spring, it produces a handful of large, copper blossoms with 3 oval-shaped shaped petals. They fall easily and have a strong scent that smells like vanilla.

In late summer it produces tiny, 4 pointed fruit. The fuzzy olive skin is peel-able and edible when cooked; it is salty, and the soft lilac flesh is sweet and spicy and very dry. The pale green seed is small and sits at the end of the fruit.

The roots form a tightly packed ball, and overall the tree is sturdy and difficult to uproot.

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