Copperleaf

This short shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for around 40 years. It is very susceptible to disease and insect infestation.

It has many wide, straight stems covered in very thick, smooth, copper-coloured bark, and the wood inside is yellow-brown.

The branches trail down to the ground with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with very large amounts of huge, fan-like, leaves with toothed edges. The leaves themselves are bronze on the edges and copper at the center, durable and smooth.

In early spring it produces bunches of tiny, olive blossoms with 2 shield-shaped shaped petals. They are very delicate and have an overpowering scent that smells like sugar.

In late autumn tiny fan-like fruits ripen. The rubbery azure skin is tough and edible when boiled; it is extremely spicy, and the very soft orange flesh is savoury and sticky. The light grey seed is tiny and sits at the top of the fruit.