Copperbrush

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

It has numerous very thick, wavy stems covered in delicate, knobbly, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is brown.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with copious amounts of huge, perforated, leaves with wavy edges. The leaves themselves are orange and hazel, flexible and rough.

In mid-spring it produces thousands of medium-sized, light brown blossoms with 9 umbrella-shaped shaped petals. They are very delicate and have an intensely strong scent that smells like mint.

In early autumn small needle-like fruits ripen. The leathery gold skin is stretchy and inedible, and the slightly crunchy yellow flesh is sour and oily. The orange seeds are tiny and are scattered throughout the fruit.