<previous next>

Bloodberry

Shrub type: Deciduous (Stores water in its leaves)

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 186 years old. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous slender, angular stems covered in very thick, waxy, brown-green speckled bark, and the wood inside is brown.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with small amounts of giant, thin, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are either faded purple, or dark grey with orange lines, rigid and crispy.

In early summer it produces hundreds of large, dull red blossoms with triangular petals. They are very delicate and have a delicate scent that smells like blood.

In late autumn tiny asymmetrical fruits ripen. The smooth gentle orange skin is stretchy and inedible, and the slightly crunchy dark grey flesh is sweet and sour and sticky. The pale yellow seeds are tiny and are scattered throughout the fruit.

The colour changes depends on whether the soil is acidic or alkaline.
The sap is edible and very bitter.
It is suitable for use as a construction material