Burgundy Willow

This large shrub grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and lives for around 37 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has many narrow, angular stems covered in paper-thin, wrinkled, burgundy bark, and the wood inside is black.

The branches are short, rigid and upright with thousands of twigs that and are covered with handfuls of large, slender, pointed, leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are gold and lime, sturdy and soft.

In mid-summer it produces a handful of small, florescent orange blossoms with wide petals. They fall easily and have a strong scent that smells like chocolate.

In early autumn wide fruits ripen. The clammy aquamarine skin is tough and inedible, and the very soft purple flesh is sour and oily. The yellow seed is large and sits at the top of the fruit.