Serpentine Vinefruit

This giant fruit tree grows up to 73 feet (22.3 meters) tall and lives for up to 10 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 17 years old. It is very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has a sturdy, straight trunk covered in paper-thin, knobbly, silver and white bark, and inside, the light wood is yellow.

The branches are long and thin and are covered with handfuls of large, stiff, pointed leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are dark orange on the edges and turquoise at the center.

In early spring, it produces many balls of medium-sized, pink blossoms with broad, flat petals. They fall easily and have an intense scent that smells like burning wood.

In late summer it produces , oval fruit. The clammy copper skin is stretchy and spicy, and the crunchy brown flesh is savoury and syrupy. The beige seed is tiny and sits at the end of the fruit.

The roots form a tightly packed ball, and overall the tree is rigid and brittle.

Forests of this species feature the trees packed together, with grassy ground between them.