''Syzygium australe'', with many

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

s that include brush cherry, scrub cherry, creek lilly-pilly, creek satinash, and watergum, is a

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfores ...

tree native to eastern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

. It can attain a height of up to 35 m with a trunk diameter of 60 cm. In cultivation, this species is usually a small to medium-sized tree with a maximum height of only 18m.

Description

The

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are opposite, simple, lanceolate from 4–8 cm long.

Flowers A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

are white and in clusters. The pink, elongated, edible

fruits In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particula ...

range from a size of 1.5 to 2.3 centimeters long, and ripen mainly in

summer Summer is the hottest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the summer solstice, the earliest sunrise and latest sunset occurs, daylight hours are longest and dark hours are shortest, wit ...

and autumn. The fruit surrounds a small, circular

seed A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...

. The flavour of the fruit is described as having a refreshing taste, and have a small hint of sourness to them. This species is commonly confused with magenta cherry and the blue lilly pilly. However, the brush cherry has a paler trunk.

Distribution

The species occurs in coastal regions in Queensland and New South Wales, northwards from

Batemans Bay Batemans Bay is a town on the South Coast region of the state of New South Wales, Australia. Batemans Bay is administered by the Eurobodalla Shire council. The town is situated on the shores of an estuary formed where the Clyde River meets th ...

Germination

''Syzygium australe'' usually takes about 6 weeks to

germinate Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fer ...

depending on the temperature and the soil moisture. Ideal temperatures for Brush cherry germination is 18-26 degrees Celsius (65-80 F). The soil needs to be moist, but not waterlogged as this can rot the seed. For successful germination, remove all the flesh from the seed. Plant the seeds about half an inch deep in soil. If planting in a pot, make sure it has good drainage.

Cultivation and Uses

Brush cherry is commonly cultivated in gardens in

Eastern Australia The eastern states of Australia are the states adjoining the east continental coastline of Australia. These are the mainland states of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, and the island state of Tasmania. The Australian Capital Territory ...

, mostly as shorter, shrub-like cultivars such as "Aussie Boomer", "Aussie Compact", "Birdsville", "Bush Christmas", "Minipilly" and "Tiny Trev". These are especially popular as hedges. The pleasantly sour fruit are also eaten fresh or cooked. The fruit can be used to make

jam Jam is a type of fruit preserve. Jam or Jammed may also refer to: Other common meanings * A firearm malfunction * Block signals ** Radio jamming ** Radar jamming and deception ** Mobile phone jammer ** Echolocation jamming Arts and ente ...

s and jellies. This species has been adopted by Coffs Harbour City Council as the City's

floral emblem In a number of countries, plants have been chosen as symbols to represent specific geographic areas. Some countries have a country-wide floral emblem; others in addition have symbols representing subdivisions. Different processes have been used to ...

. Brush cherry is used as a subject for

bonsai Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...

. Image:Syzygium australe - Mt Keira.JPG, Mature brush cherry at

Mount Keira Mount Keira () is a suburb and mountain in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Mount Keira is a site of significant cultural heritage for the Wodi Wodi people. The name Mount Keira derives from the Wodi Wodi name for the mounta ...

Illawarra The Illawarra is a coastal region in the Australian state of New South Wales, nestled between the mountains and the sea. It is situated immediately south of Sydney and north of the South Coast region. It encompasses the two cities of Wollongo ...

Image:Syzygium australe - Watagans.jpg, Mature brush cherry at

Watagans National Park Watagans is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney. This park has some fine rainforest scenery. File:Watagans park sign.JPG File:Watagans trees.JPG See also * Protected areas of New South Wales The Pro ...

Image:Syzygium australe - 4.jpg, Cross-section of

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

showing the circular

References

External links

* * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2468560 australe Bushfood Trees of Australia Ornamental trees Myrtales of Australia Flora of New South Wales Flora of Queensland Taxa named by Bernard Hyland