Bronzeberry

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 18 years. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of narrow, slanted stems covered in thick, waxy, black with white speckled bark, and the wood inside is pale brown.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of large, needle-like, leaves with irregular edges. The leaves themselves are either caramel or grey, with white streaks, delicate and soft.

In mid-spring it produces lots of giant, hazel blossoms with circular shaped petals. They detach easily and have a weak scent that smells like cigarette smoke.

In mid-autumn wide fruits ripen. The hairy silver skin is thin and inedible, and the slightly crunchy bronze flesh is sweet and savoury and dry. The silver seed is large and is in the centre of the fruit.