Bronzeberry

This modest-sized shrub grows up to 3 feet (91.4 cm) tall and lives for decades, with the oldest known specimen being around 142 years old. It is very resistant to disease but is susceptible to destructive insect infestation.

It has many long and flexible, crooked stems covered in hard, cracked, brown and grey bark, and the wood inside is white.

The branches are short, rigid and upright that and are covered with very large amounts of tiny, perforated, leaves with serrated edges. The leaves themselves are solid cream or hazel, with bronze patches, delicate and crispy.

In mid-spring it produces balls of giant, hazel blossoms with long, tapering petals with a trumpet-shaped floral cup. They detach easily and have an overpowering scent that smells like pepper.

In late winter long, tapering fruits ripen. The waxy orange skin is stretchy and inedible, and the crunchy magenta flesh is sour and oily. The light brown seeds are small and are scattered throughout the fruit.