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Burgundy Sage

Shrub type: Deciduous (Stores water in its stem)

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 2 feet (61.0 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 149 years old. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has dozens of narrow, wonky stems covered in thin, knobbly, burgundy bark, and the wood inside is burgundy-brown.

The branches are very short and thin with thousands of twigs that and are covered with very large amounts of tiny, wispy, leaves with rounded edges. The leaves themselves are dark brown with slate tips, delicate and waxy.

In mid-spring it produces many balls of giant, beige blossoms with oblong shaped petals. They are hardy and have a weak scent that smells like apple.

In mid-autumn small spherical fruits ripen. The waxy aquamarine skin is tough and edible when boiled; it is very savoury, and the crunchy blood red flesh is salty and dry. The blood red seed is tiny and is in the centre of the fruit.

It can grow in even the most barren lands.
It is almost impossible to grow from cuttings.
It is suitable for use as a construction material