Copperbell

This large shrub grows up to 9 feet (2.7 meters) tall and lives for around 21 years. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous slender, straight stems covered in hard, smooth, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is burgundy-brown.

The branches are tall, rigid and upright with dozens of twigs that and are covered with large amounts of tiny, thick, leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are either cyan or white, with light grey patches, flimsy and smooth.

In early summer it produces large amounts of tiny, sky blue blossoms with teardrop-shaped shaped petals. They fall easily and have a powerful scent that smells like something putrid.

In mid-autumn tiny fan-like fruits ripen. The rough red skin is thin and spicy and savoury, and the slightly crunchy cream flesh is salty and oily. The vivid orange seed is small and sits at the end of the fruit.