Aquamarine

This short fruit tree grows up to 8 feet (2.4 meters) tall and lives for up to 35 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 77 years old. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has a slender, twisting trunk covered in hard, silky, dark gray bark, and inside, the very hard wood is yellow.

The large clumps of branches trail down to the ground and are covered with thick bunches of small, pleated leaves with tattered edges. The leaves themselves are either cream, or blue with intense green edges.

In early spring, it produces copious amounts of medium-sized, red blossoms with 7 triangular shaped petals. They fall easily and have an overpowering scent that smells like leather.

In early autumn it produces tiny, 7 pointed fruit. The fuzzy aquamarine skin is delicate and edible when boiled; it is sour, and the slightly crunchy blue flesh is sour and savoury and very dry. The brown seeds are small and are dotted around on the skin of the fruit.

The roots spread far and go deep underground, and overall the tree is rigid and brittle.

Forests of this species feature well-spaced trees, with the space between filled with undergrowth.