Copperleaf

This average-sized shrub grows up to 3 feet (91.4 cm) tall and lives for around 23 years. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many thick, straight stems covered in paper-thin, cracked, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is light brown.

The branches trail down to the ground with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of huge, very thin, leaves with tattered edges. The leaves themselves are either lime or magenta, with cream patches, hardy and smooth.

In mid-summer it produces hundreds of medium-sized, hazel blossoms with shield-shaped shaped petals. They are very delicate and have an intense scent that smells like new carpet.

In early autumn long, curved fruits ripen. The fuzzy orange skin is stretchy and inedible, and the soft vibrant orange flesh is very sweet and dry. The caramel seeds are large and are located in the centre of the fruit.