Copperleaf Pine

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 91 years. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has numerous knobbly, straight stems covered in smooth, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is copper-coloured.

The branches are short, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with small amounts of large, sickle shaped, leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are found in cyan and sky blue varieties, strong and tough and fuzzy.

In early summer it produces several small, blood red blossoms with long, tapering petals. They fall easily and have a weak scent that smells like citrus.

In early autumn tiny triangular fruits ripen. The fuzzy black skin is thin and inedible, and the slightly crunchy indigo flesh is salty and very dry. The crimson seeds are small and are located in the centre of the fruit.