Copperleaf

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 2 feet (61.0 cm) tall and lives for around 15 years. It is very susceptible to disease and insect infestation.

It has numerous sturdy, straight stems covered in wrinkled, yellow bark, and the wood inside is pine-coloured.

The branches are short, rigid and upright with hundreds of twigs that and are covered with thick bunches of miniature, wispy, leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are found in copper and olive varieties, resistant and leathery.

In late summer it produces bunches of small, pink blossoms with broad, flat petals. They fall easily and have a scent whose strength depends on external factors, such as soil quality and rain frequency that smells like cotton.

In early winter asymmetrical fruits ripen. The soft pink skin is thick and inedible, and the soft grey flesh is bland and very dry. The hazel seeds are tiny and are scattered throughout the fruit.