Ashenberry

This giant shrub grows up to 15 feet (4.6 meters) tall and lives for around 90 years. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has many slender, twisting stems covered in cracked, dark gray bark, and the wood inside is pine-coloured.

The branches are short, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with sparse amounts of giant, pleated, leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are slate on the edges and amber at the center, frail and covered in fine hairs.

In mid-spring it produces thick bunches of small, dull blue blossoms with 4 umbrella-shaped shaped petals. They are sturdy and have an overpowering scent that smells like ashes.

In midwinter tiny finger-like fruits ripen. The hairy dark yellow skin is thin and inedible, and the very soft silver flesh is spicy and very dry. The grey seed is very large and is in the centre of the fruit.