Copperwood

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 176 years old. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many sturdy, straight stems covered in very thick, smooth, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is pale brown.

The branches are very short and thin with thousands of twigs that and are covered with small amounts of miniature, circular, leaves with wavy edges. The leaves themselves are a shade of lime green that gradient shifts to green at the top, tough and clammy.

In late summer it produces thick bunches of medium-sized, blood red blossoms with wide petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They are sturdy and have a soft scent that smells like roses.

In mid-autumn small circular fruits ripen. The sticky vibrant green skin is stretchy and inedible, and the very soft blood red flesh is slightly salty and powdery. The gentle red seed is very large and is in the centre of the fruit.