Clinging Ashfruit

This average-sized fruit tree grows up to 12 feet (3.7 meters) tall and lives for up to 25 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 30 years old. It is very resistant to destructive insect infestation but susceptible to disease.

It has a long and flexible, wonky trunk covered in fine, cracked, silver bark, and inside, the very dense wood is yellow-brown.

The branches are long, thin and wispy and are covered with small amounts of miniature, finger-like leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are either pink, or orange with slate patches.

In early spring, it produces lots of small, cyan blossoms with stiff, pointed petals. They are hardy and have an intensely strong scent that smells like ashes.

In early summer it produces small, finger-like fruit. The sticky magenta skin is thin and edible when roasted; it is sweet, and the soft orange flesh is bitter and savoury and sticky. The crimson seeds are large and are located in the centre of the fruit.

The roots are shallow and widely spread, and overall the tree is sturdy and difficult to uproot.

Forests of this species feature the trees packed together densely, with the space between them filled with thick undergrowth.