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Copperflower

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

This big flower grows up to 2.5 feet (76 cm) tall. Its copper stem is wispy and splits into 5 branching stems a quarter of the way up, and the huge, lime green leaves are stiff, pointed with smooth edges. Many leaves grow along the entire length of the stem.

Two medium-sized flowers sit at the end of the stem. The flowers are 23 cm (9.1 inches) wide, with solid hazel petals decorated with sky blue lines and a amber central disk. The flower head is an uncoordinated mess of up to 40 curved petals. They are hardy.

It has a soft scent that smells like sugar, and it has excessive amounts of pollen. It is pollinated by the wind, but is also particularly attractive to bees.

It is suitable for use as a construction material
It usually houses a colony of beneficial insects.
All parts of the bine are edible.
It is almost impossible to grow from cuttings.