Copperberry

This short fruit tree grows up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) tall and lives for up to 30 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 49 years old. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a slender, wavy trunk covered in silky, brown-green bark, and inside, the flexible wood is gray.

The branches are short, thin and wispy and are covered with large amounts of tiny, very narrow and elongated leaves with tattered edges. The leaves themselves are yellow and cream.

In early spring, it produces hundreds of small, vivid red blossoms with finger-like petals. They are sturdy and have a delicate scent that smells like a newborn baby.

In late autumn it produces , oval fruit. The rubbery copper skin is delicate and inedible, and the very soft copper flesh is bitter and syrupy. The light brown seeds are large and are bunched at the top of the fruit.

The roots are shallow and widely spread, and overall the tree is sturdy and difficult to uproot.

Forests of this species feature well-spaced trees, with patches of undergrowth between them.