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Watermelon Oak

Fruit Tree type: Deciduous (Stores water in the thickened base of its stem)

This short fruit tree grows up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall and lives for up to 40 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 60 years old. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a branched, wavy trunk covered in fine, ridged, brown-green speckled bark, and inside, the light wood is black.

The tangled mess of branches are short, rigid and upright and are covered with very large amounts of huge, slender, pointed leaves with wavy edges. The leaves themselves are olive at the bottom and purple with cream dots at the top.

In early spring, it produces many bunches of giant, green blossoms with many layers of petals. They detach easily and have a fairly strong scent that smells like cheap aftershave.

In early summer it produces small, oval fruit. The rough blood red skin is peel-able and edible when roasted; it is bland, and the very soft magenta flesh is sour and oily. The orange seed is large and sits at the end of the fruit.

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

Forests of this species feature the trees packed together, with clear space between them.

It spreads easily and often blanket large areas.
It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles