Copperfern

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 123 years old. It is susceptible to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has many knobbly, straight stems covered in ridged, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches are short, rigid and upright that and are covered with thick bunches of huge, wide, leaves with rounded edges. The leaves themselves are either brown, or light brown with hazel streaks, hardy and soft.

In late summer it produces many small, turquoise blossoms with slender, pointed petals. They detach easily and have a delicate scent that smells like coconut.

In midwinter large pleated fruits ripen. The smooth gold skin is thick and sweet, and the crunchy light brown flesh is sweet and sour and powdery. The white seeds are tiny and are dotted around on the skin of the fruit.