<previous next>

Copperflower

Flower type: Biennial (Stores water in the thickened base of its stem)

This small flower grows up to 3 inches (8 cm) tall. Its moss green stem is wispy and straight, and the huge, burgundy leaves are dark brown on the underside and are needle-like with smooth edges. Many leaves grow along the entire length of the stem.

Each stem splits 6 to 10 times; a single tiny flower grows at the end of each split. The flowers are 4 cm (1.6 inches) wide, with petals that are copper on the edges and sky blue at the center. The flower head is an uncoordinated mess of up to 50 curved petals. They are sturdy.

It has an intensely strong scent that smells like cotton, and it has very little pollen. It is pollinated by insects and is particularly attractive to bees.

It can absorb up to 5 times its own weight in water.
It is suitable for creating tough, hard-wearing textiles