Coppervine

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 31 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has many very thick, straight stems covered in delicate, smooth, brown-green bark, and the wood inside is silver.

The branches are short stubs with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with copious amounts of large, very thick, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are dark brown with silver tips, flimsy and sticky.

In mid-summer it produces hundreds of tiny, copper blossoms with spiral shaped petals. They detach easily and have a powerful scent that smells like petrol.

In late winter stiff, pointed fruits ripen. The smooth purple skin is tough and sweet, and the very soft silver flesh is bitter and salty and sticky. The bronze seeds are small and are scattered throughout the fruit.