Indigo

This modest-sized fruit tree grows up to 17 feet (5.2 meters) tall and lives for up to 30 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 57 years old. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a thick, straight trunk covered in thin, knobbly, silver and white bark, and inside, the very light wood is yellow-brown.

The branches are short, rigid and upright and are covered with very large amounts of tiny, pleated leaves with tattered edges. The leaves themselves are grey and beige.

In early spring, it produces a thick sheet of medium-sized, black blossoms with circular petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They are very delicate and have a weak scent that smells like misty mornings.

In late summer it produces small, slender, 6 pointed fruit. The hairy indigo skin is thick and sour, and the slightly crunchy light yellow flesh is salty and sour and powdery. The hazel seeds are small and are bunched at the bottom of the fruit.

The roots are fine and grow in a large web, and overall the tree is sturdy and difficult to uproot.

Forests of this species feature trees spaced far apart, with grassy ground between them.