Indigo

This short fruit tree grows up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and lives for up to 15 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 27 years old. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a slender, slanted trunk covered in delicate, smooth, burgundy and brown bark, and inside, the dense wood is burgundy.

The small clumps of branches are short stubs and are covered with copious amounts of large, slender, pointed leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are either cream, or yellow with blue zig-zags.

In early spring, it produces a thick sheet of small, indigo blossoms with V-shaped shaped petals. They detach easily and have an intensely strong scent that smells like mango.

In early winter it produces tiny, fan-like fruit. The rough ashy blue skin is stretchy and edible when boiled; it is salty, and the very soft yellow flesh is sweet and powdery. The red seed is large and sits at the top of the fruit.

The roots are thick and spread across the surface, as well as underground, and overall the tree is sturdy and difficult to uproot.

Forests of this species feature trees spaced far apart, with the space between them filled with thick undergrowth.