Copperfern

This small shrub grows up to 1 foot (30.5 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 167 years old. It is not very resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous knobbly, straight stems covered in thick, silky, white with black speckled bark, and the wood inside is black.

The branches are long and thin that and are covered with copious amounts of huge, shield-shaped, leaves with ripped edges. The leaves themselves are solid copper with gold zig-zags, rigid and rough.

In early summer it produces many bunches of giant, grey blossoms with 4 crescent-shaped shaped petals. They fall easily and have a delicate scent that smells like citrus.

In late autumn small circular fruits ripen. The rubbery orange skin is thick and sweet and sour, and the very soft bronze flesh is overwhelmingly bitter and powdery. The green seeds are large and are located in the centre of the fruit.