Copperleaf

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 94 years. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has several stocky, straight stems covered in thick, smooth, brown-green bark, and the wood inside is dark brown.

The branches are short, thin and wispy with thousands of twigs that and are covered with thick bunches of giant, very narrow and elongated, leaves with tattered edges. The leaves themselves are dark brown and copper, flexible and crispy.

In late summer it produces copious amounts of tiny, caramel blossoms with long, narrow petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They fall easily and have an overpowering scent that smells like lavender.

In late winter very large cuboid fruits ripen. The leathery turquoise skin is thin and sour, and the slightly crunchy aquamarine flesh is spicy and salty and powdery. The orange seed is large and is in the centre of the fruit.