Crimson Willow

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 2 feet (61.0 cm) tall and lives for around 79 years. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous wide, wonky stems covered in delicate, cracked, brown-green bark, and the wood inside is brown.

The branches are very long and slender that and are covered with very large amounts of giant, asymmetrical, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are slate with blood red tips, durable and fuzzy.

In mid-summer it produces a handful of medium-sized, peach blossoms with long, tapering petals. They are hardy and have the faintest scent that smells like warm milk.

In late autumn tiny oval fruits ripen. The smooth violet skin is stretchy and edible when boiled; it is savoury, and the very soft pink flesh is spicy and powdery. The crimson seed is large and sits at the end of the fruit.