Crimson Spire

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 195 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has several flexible, crooked stems covered in knobbly, brown-green speckled bark, and the wood inside is gray.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with dozens of twigs that and are covered with small bunches of huge, long, narrow, leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are copper at the bottom and crimson with white edges at the top, tough and sticky.

In late summer it produces several medium-sized, crimson blossoms with cylindrical shaped petals. They are very delicate and have a mildly strong scent that smells like coconut.

In early winter tiny circular fruits ripen. The clammy crimson skin is peel-able and edible when roasted; it is sweet and bitter, and the crunchy brown flesh is spicy and very dry. The light brown seed is small and is in the centre of the fruit.