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Copperleaf

Shrub type: Coniferous (Sheds its leaves in winter)

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 21 years. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has dozens of stocky, wavy stems covered in hard, knobbly, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is burgundy.

The branches are short and thick with dozens of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of huge, spear shaped, leaves with rounded edges. The leaves themselves are a shade of orange that gradient shifts to white at the top, fairly frail and rough.

In late summer it produces many tiny, brilliant yellow flowers with long, narrow petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They fall easily and have a strong scent that smells like ashes.

It has impressive regenerative properties.
It can survive a very long time without water.
It is suitable for making baskets and the like
It out-competes most other plants for nutrients and light.