Turquoise Fruit Tree

This short fruit tree grows up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall and lives for up to 25 years, with the oldest known specimen being around 42 years old. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has a branched, crooked trunk covered in delicate, waxy, dark brown bark, and inside, the medium-dense wood is pine-coloured.

The thin clumps of branches trail down to the ground and are covered with thick bunches of miniature, long, tapering leaves with jagged edges. The leaves themselves are a shade of green that gradient shifts to lime at the top.

In early spring, it produces thick bunches of medium-sized, cream blossoms with stiff, pointed petals. They detach easily and have a delicate scent that smells like rotten meat.

In late summer it produces small, 7 pointed fruit. The leathery blue skin is peel-able and edible when boiled; it is spicy, and the crunchy turquoise flesh is savoury and very dry. The grey seed is very large and sits at the end of the fruit.

The roots are fine and grow in a large web, and overall the tree is sturdy and rigid.

Forests of this species feature trees spaced far apart, with grassy ground between them.