Darkwood Tree

the Darkwood Tree has a short, gnarled, twisted trunk and branched covered in sharp-looking oblong dark-green leaves with red tips. it's bark is smooth and dark-grey. the flowers of Darkwood Trees are large, wide, 5-petaled white star-shaped blossoms that give off a smoky scent. the flowers ward off Corruption and Demons. the roots dig deep into the ground, and spread out far, keeping the tree very sturdy.

the flowers of the tree may bear an orange-red fruit with a thick peel. this fruit is bitter-tasting, like an olive, with a pit that can grow another tree. the fruit of the tree, called Demon's Head, is a favourite of Unicorns, who often eat them off the ground and may even ram the tree to knock some off the branches.

Darkwood trees grow slowly, but are very resilient. even as saplings they are tough and woody, and their leaves bitter-tasting, which helps to prevent them from being eaten while young. after 10 years a Darkwood tree will have grown from a pit to a height of 5 feet and have a trunk as thick around as a human's shoulders. it takes 100 years for a Darkwood tree to grow to full height. the tallest Darkwood trees are only 20 feet tall, and most only grow to half that height. they generally grow in the shade of much taller trees. by the time a Darkwood tree is 100 years old its wood is suitable for harvest. the wood at this stage is particularly hard, not much softer than iron, and can be used for a variety of purposes, especially shields and planks or even roof shingles. druids sometimes make lamelar armour out of the wood. because of the slow growth and maturity rate of Darkwood, it is not feasible to farm it, and druids typically guard forests of Darkwood trees against overlogging.

Darkwood trees are found in temperate and subarctic climates in thick woods under the shade of much taller trees. they only grow in otherwise thick, dense forests. they can be found on both mountainsides and in valleys and gorges, but prefer cooler, humid coastal environments.

Darkwood trees need partial sunlight to grow properly, and a plentiful source of groundwater. their roots run deep, and spread wide, soaking up water and storing it in their fibers for slow consumption.