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Mahogany

Shrub type: Deciduous (Stores water in its stem)

This colossal shrub grows up to 11 feet (3.4 meters) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 148 years old. It is somewhat resistant to disease and destructive insect infestation.

It has numerous slender, straight stems covered in very thick, silky, mahogany-coloured bark, and the wood inside is white with black speckles.

The branches are short stubs with thousands of twigs that and are covered with small bunches of large, circular, leaves with smooth edges. The leaves themselves are solid amber or grey, with bright orange lines, resistant and clammy.

In mid-spring it produces many clusters of medium-sized, yellow blossoms with shield-shaped shaped petals. They are very delicate and have a weak scent that smells like skunk spray.

In late winter oval fruits ripen. The waxy magenta skin is thin and edible when boiled; it is sweet and bitter, and the crunchy indigo flesh is salty and syrupy. The subtle orange seeds are small and are scattered throughout the fruit.

It is possible to grow it from cuttings.
It is said to be able to live for hundreds of years.
The leaves are extremely toxic, and very savoury.
It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles