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A large Australian tree that grows along the eastern coast from central Queensland down to Victoria. It was
originally described in 1789 as Eugenia smithii. It has now been moved to Syzygium. I was given a rooted cutting in spring and it has grown as fast as you might expect from a forest tree. There is almost no chance that it will be hardy here, and it is unlikely to survive even in the greenhouse. It's growing too fast to keep it on a windowsill for long, but I'm going to give it a try. I didn't know any of that when I was given it. Planted out in the Agave house (home to all marginal possibilities in recent years) it has grown well and been cut back to keep it within bounds. It might be possible to prune it into a shrub, or clip it into a bun. It has rooted easily from cuttings so it will be tried in the garden in a sheltered place. For a strange, vigorous evergreen it has been quite wonderful. In 2021 I planted it in the garden and almost immediately it was hit by drought. The plant survived but it is only slowly growing away again. The Australian Native Plant Society say: "In nature, Syzygium smithii is usually a medium to large tree reaching 15 – 20 metres in height. However, in cultivation it is usually a dense-foliaged, medium tree of about 8 – 10 metres high by 6 metres wide. The leaves are glossy green, lance-shaped to elliptical, about 50 — 100 mm long by 10 – 50 mm wide and tapering to a point. The flowers are creamish/white and occur in clusters at the ends of the branches in spring and summer. They have a fluffy appearance due to the numerous long stamens but are not especially attractive, horticulturally. The flowers are followed by fleshy fruits, white to purple in colour and about 10 – 15 mm in dimeter. The fruits are edible but not particularly palatable." Useful Tropical Plants says: "The tree is harvested from the wild for local use of its edible fruit and wood. When boles of suitable dimension are available, the wood is a useful structural timber that is occasionally marketed. A very ornamental tree with attractive foliage and flowers, plus clusters of pink fruit that attract birds, it is often planted in gardens, as street trees etc. Usually found in rainforests, growing along the banks of small streams and rivers at elevations from sea level to 1,200 metres. Older plants grow well in a sunny position and in dappled shade, though younger plants need some protection from strong sunlight. Plants are often found growing along the sides of rivers, where they are able to withstand seasonal flooding and strong currents. Young plants are rather slow-growing and spindly, but the growth eventually becomes very dense. Ripe fruits can remain hanging on the plant for several months." |
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| 17th May 2011 | ||
