Palms are the graceful dancers of the rainforest, slender stemmed, green fronds swaying to the slightest breeze.
They are found in all types of rainforest except the temperate and the niche they occupy in the biosphere is important. Those great fronds act as fans to cool the temperature around them, the berries nurture birds and small creatures, the balls of hard-packed roots take up little space in the ground, the long stems are efficient conductors of water and nutrients.
This is done through vascular bundles because palms have no bark and no inner rings to mark age in the trunk. These bundles strengthen the stem against strong wind, while the round shape deflects it.
In fact palms are not trees at all but monocots, like lilies, lacking the features of dicots such as trees. When wounded, the outer “bark” does not regrow; when beheaded, new fronds do not form.
In the subtropical rainforests that surround my home, the dominant palm is Archntophoenix cunninghamiana, a very customer than can tolerate quite cold conditions providing there is no hard frost or heavy snow. Heat, it tolerates very well; particularly when coupled with high humidity.
Top: The fruit of the Piccabeen Palm.
Top right: Aerial roots above ground on the stem of the palm improve absorption of water and sunlight while also providing extra stability.
These palms, which we call Piccabeen, the name by which they were known to the indigenous people, grow in all parts of the forest and will do well as solitary specimens in the open, but are seen at their best in deep gullies along water courses and clustered in groves on the flattish bottoms of groves where the water table is high. Here they flourish to the exclusion of most other species, growing high and slender as they reach for the sky.
Lyrebirds and some other species roost in those lofty perches where the fronds cluster at the apex and some birds nest there. Rain washes the bird poo, rich in nutrients, down to the forest floor. Insects are attracted to the summer spikes of tiny, nectar-rich flowers and they, in turn, insects and flowers both, fall to the ground.
Thus enriched, the leaf litter is a rich nursery for the palm seeds that drop there, bright red in the case of the Archontophoenix palms and very ready to germinate. This is how the palm groves form and also why these plants are so readily available in nurseries. The flesh around the single seed is tempting to certain birds and animals but not palatable to humans, and thus the palm is part of the wild banquet that is an essential feature of this particular ecosystem. Other parts of the palm, including the heart for consumption and the fronds for basket-making, were a resource for the indigenous peoples who foraged and hunted among the thickets.
To me, palms make an elegant contrast to the great buttressed rainforest trees and I love to sit on a hillside and look down upon them wherePalms
Palms are the graceful dancers of the rainforest, slender stemmed, green fronds swaying to the slightest breeze.
They are found in all types of rainforest except the temperate and the niche they occupy in the biosphere is important. Those great fronds act as fans to cool the temperature around them, the berries nurture birds and small creatures, the balls of hard-packed roots take up little space in the ground, the long stems are efficient conductors of water and nutrients.
This is done through vascular bundles because palms have no bark and no inner rings to mark age in the trunk. These bundles strengthen the stem against strong wind, while the round shape deflects it.
In fact palms are not trees at all but monocots, like lilies, lacking the features of dicots such as trees. When wounded, the outer “bark” does not regrow; when beheaded, new fronds do not form.
In the subtropical rainforests that surround my home, the dominant palm is Archntophoenix cunninghamiana, a very customer than can tolerate quite cold conditions providing there is no hard frost or heavy snow. Heat, it tolerates very well; particularly when coupled with high humidity.
These palms, which we call Piccabeen, the name by which they were known to the indigenous people, grow in all parts of the forest and will do well as solitary specimens in the open, but are seen at their best in deep gullies along water courses and clustered in groves on the flattish bottoms of groves where the water table is high. Here they flourish to the exclusion of most other species, growing high and slender as they reach for the sky.
Lyrebirds and some other species roost in those lofty perches where the fronds cluster at the apex and some birds nest there. Rain washes the bird poo, rich in nutrients, down to the forest floor. Insects are attracted to the summer spikes of tiny, nectar-rich flowers and they, in turn, insects and flowers both, fall to the ground.
Thus enriched, the leaf litter is a rich nursery for the palm seeds that drop there, bright red in the case of the Archontophoenix palms and very ready to germinate. This is how the palm groves form and also why these plants are so readily available in nurseries. The flesh around the single seed is tempting to certain birds and animals but not palatable to humans, and thus the palm is part of the wild banquet that is an essential feature of this particular ecosystem. Other parts of the palm, including the heart for consumption and the fronds for basket-making, were a resource for the indigenous peoples who foraged and hunted among the thickets.
To me, palms make an elegant contrast to the great buttressed rainforest trees and I love to sit on a hillside and look down upon them where they emerge from the canopy, raising their fronds to the sun, rustling mysteriously, lush with tropical allure. they emerge from the canopy, raising their fronds to the sun, rustling mysteriously, lush with tropical allure.
(This post is an ongoing project with new Australian rainforest plants – and new information about those plants – being included as I find the time to do so. I am always happy to answer questions.)
Syzygium leuhmanni or Riberry, with and without coppery red new growth.
Lillypilly is the name given to several trees and shrubs in the genus Syzygium, though several of them also go by the common name of satinash because the inner bark has a satiny texture.
Lillypillies occur in most rainforest and closely associated habitats in Australia; one species, Syzygium wilsonnii, is found along the Gippsland coast and Wilson’s Promontory in Victoria, extending north to just over the Queensland – New South Wales border. S. paniculatum is found in coastal scrubs around Woollongong and Sydney but no further north while the lovely S. oleosum can also be found that far south but extends north to the border. The area from the mid north coast of New South Wales through to south east Queensland boasts many lillypilly species but by far the greatest number is found in north Queensland where the rainfall and humidity are high and a rich feast of soil nutrients readily available year round.
Yet despite their obvious preference for moist environments most Syzygium species can tolerate long, dry periods and some do well in the low rainfall dry scrubs, such as Queenland’s Bunya Mountains, provided they get plenty of rain in summer. This is because their roots, like those of so many Australian rainforest plants, are well adapted to seeking out water. They have no tap root (except for very young seedlings)but rely, instead, on a wide spread of fibrous roots that grow thicker as the tree/shrub grows higher and the canopy develops. A growing tree is a thirsty tree! This spreading root system, extending in mature trees beyond the canopy, also adds stability.
Leaves and fruit
The genus is readily identified in the field by certain features. Leaves are small to medium in length (with some exceptions), opposite, simple, margins entire, distinguished by many close, parallel lateral veins, central vein clearly visible, lots of oil dots which may or may not be visible without a lens, tips either blunt or drawn out to a long “drip tip” point.
One of the most attractive features about all species in this genus is the new foliage which, depending on species, can be deep red, copper, bronze or gold.
The fruit, too, is attractive. Most have bright pink or magenta berries though some species have white, purple or blue. All these fruits are attractive to birds and other wildlife; some are palatable to humans especially the popular Riberry (S. leuhmanni) whose fruit makes excellent jam.
Lillypillies are close to the top of the list when it comes to attractive plants in the rainforest – they are good-looking from top to toe, with interesting bark, lush and spreading canopies full of leaves, colourful with flowers and berries and new growth throughout much of the year.
This means of course that they make excellent garden plants, particularly if lightly but regularly pruned when young to make a good, compact shape. They can be temperamental when it comes to flowering (and thus fruiting). Some years they are prolific and a sight to behold. Other years the flowers and fruit are sparse or non-existent. The cause is not really known – wet spring, dry spring, other seasonal factors – theories abound but no consistent theory has yet evolved. My own observations over many years indicate that dry springs DO bring on more flowers but then again I have known periods of almost no rain for three months in the subtropics when certain lillypilly species haven’t produce a single blossom! And unusually wet late winter/springs when they have. When it comes to climate, trees know things that we humans don’t!
Pests and diseases
The only pests that worry lillypillies are psyllids, tiny little critters that show up as pinkish-brown pimples on the leaves, making the plant look unsightly. It’s been claimed that unhealthy plants are more prone to psyllid attack and maybe that’s true but in my experience perfectly healthy specimens suffer attack. One that’s already suffering stress may give up and die but this is rare; the main problem is that a tree/shrub with gnarled and pimpled leaves looks unsightly. White oil or Confidor can be sprayed on affected leaves; my own method is to trim off unsightly growth in young plants when I see it (this requires a daily patrol!) and otherwise leave it to run its course. Until the next infestation! Birds and beneficial inects do a good job in my garden at keeping psyllid infestation to a minimum.
And now let’s take a look at the most familiar members of this fascinating genus…those that we see in the forests around us and those that we grow in our gardens.
Syzygium australe(Brush Cherry, Creek Satinash)
This is the most common lillypilly found in our gardens and it comes in many forms, shapes and sizes because it has proved a versatile breeder from seed and clone. And it’s very, very easy to grow, in the production nursery and in the home garden.
Vital statistics.
Leaves vary variable, elliptic to obovate with a blunt tip or small point. Up to 8 cm long. Lots of lateral veins. Surface dark green and glossy, undersurface paler, new growth varies from pale green to pale coppery reddish-pink. Oil dots scattered and visible with a hand lens. Flowers white and fluffy, born at the end of branch. Fruit roughly pear-shaped, small, pink, fleshy with a single seed.
It’s found mostly in coastal and nearby mountain forests from mid south coastal New South Wales to just over the Queensland border, which means it thrives in several different soil types and temperatures.
In the garden
This makes it very handy for the home garden so your first decision is how big do you want it to grow? The average garden centre will have several from which to choose and each variety will have a different height estimation, so read the label. I use the word “estimation” because while a lot of work goes into breeding these shrubs/trees through selection, it’s impossible for anyone to forecast just how high an individual plant will grow – much depends on soil and climate.
Syzygium australe is a battler, able to thrive in any kind of soil, once established, and tolerant of dry periods. It’s fast-growing in the early stages and will grow faster and thrive better in good soil with plentiful watering – like any plant. Fertilising is not really necessary in reasonably good sandy loam soil which is regularly mulched but a bit of liquid feeding in the first year after planting, during spring-summer, will speed up growth and improve leaf quality.
It takes sun or shade but will form a more compact shape and better leaf colour with plenty of morning sun. All llillypillies grown in full sun develop bushier shapes and don’t grow as tall as they do in the rainforest where they have to compete with other trees for sunlight. So it makes an attractive single feature tree.
Syzygium australe has one big weakness – it’s prone to attack by psyllid insects which distort the foliage. They don’t kill the tree/ shrub but do make it look unsightly and a severe attack on new growth can set growth back for an entire season. For years I tried various remedies, none (except pruning off the galls) of which were truly effective. Now there is at least one remedy, a pill containing Confidor which I used to use on azaleas to control lace bugs. It’s said to work really well.
Also, there are no varieties on sale which are said to be psyllid-resistant. I remain sceptical about such claims but they may be worth trying.
This is a good plant for hedging or as a single feature shrub/tree and prunes well. Trim regularly, and lightly when young to promote good form.
Syzygium leuhmanni (Riberry)
This is one of the loveliest trees to be foun anywhere and though if left unchecked it can grow too large for the home garden- to 30 metres where water is readily available it can easily be kept in check by regular pruning when young.
It makes a good hedge, as well as a handsome feature tree and is not as prone to psyllid attack as S. australe (above). The white flowers are pretty but when the bright pink new growth covers the tree in spring it’s truly magnificent. And the fruits (below) are the most edible of all the lillypilly fruits being crisp, juicy, sweet and full of pectin so that it makes good jam. Fruit should be picked young, before the bugs find it.
Vital statistics
Leaves (see photo below) are usually obovate, gracefully rounded into an almost globular shape, or they may also be narrower and lancelolate, drawn out to a long, narrow point. They are a glossy green, darkening with age, smooth and hairless, paler underneath, lateral veins close and parallel and slightly angled towards the tip. Oil dots are numerous and easy to see with a hand lens.
Fruit is a bright pink, round, very juicy and crisp when young. It makes excellent jam.
In the garden
Unless you have a garden of half a hectare or more this tree needs to be kept low and trimmed. It can be used for hedging if trimmed regularly. It needs little care beyond light fertilising in its first year; mulching will also help it establish strong roots. But these roots can be a problem because this lillypilly needs a lot of water (though it will survive up to three months without) and the roots will go searching for it. So don’t plant it near the house!
Syzygium wilsonii– Powder Puff Lillypilly
The large red fluffy flowers of this species makes it one of the prettiest small lillypillies for the home garden.
Syzygium wilsonii comes from far north Queensland but does pretty well, once established, anywhere there is plenty of available water and no severe frost.
This plant usually grows no higher than three metres but should be kept trimmed to develop an attractive shape.
Vital statistics
Leaves are typically lanceolate, mid to dark green and quite tough. Lateral veins are numerous, with large oil dots visible under a lens. The branches usually develop an attractive drooping habit and the lovely pink new growth also hangs down which makes this plant spectacular in spring.
The flowers are spectacular too; big and pinkish red pompoms that, like the new growth, hang down from the branches.
In the garden
Choose a spot in sun or light shade that’s protected from cold winds. Mulch and fertilise lightly in the first year until you are sure the s shrub is growing well. When it reaches about two metres high, begin regular tip pruning to promote density. Do this in autumn. You’ll be rewarded with a mass of red flowers in summer.
Fruit are unusual in that they may be drupes (one seed) or berries (several seeds). They are white, slightly pear-shaped and palatable – but only just! You can make jam with them but it will need a lot of sweetening.
A hybrid of S. leuhmanni and S. wilsonii, sold as “Cascade” is a lovely smallish shrub for the home garden – it has the best qualities of both its parents with attractively drooping foliage, bright pink new growth and big, fluffy pompom flowers.
Syzygium oleosum (Blue Lillypilly)
A young Blueberry, still at the shrub stage and needing trimming for a tighter, more rounded shape.
After Syzygium luehmanni, the Riberry, the Blue Lillypilly is my favourite in this outstanding tree/shrub species and proves my point that there is a Lillypilly for just about any garden except snowy climates and deserts. Blue Lillypilly is a neat little tree with dense, glossy foliage that has a delightful fragrance.
Vital statistics
Leaves are small(to 10 cms), narrow to rounded in the middle with a long point and los of faintly visible lateral veings. If you hold them up to the light you can see lots of little, bright dots. These oil dots are common to all lillypillies but are most easily visible in Blue Lillypilly and are responsible for its strong perfume. The berry ispurplish blue when ripe, not really edible unless you are starving! There is a little crown of sepals on top. Flowers are white and fluffy. New growth is a bronzy red.
In the garden
This tree takes most soils and conditions but grows fastest and best in well-drained basalt soils where underground water is available most of the year. Mulch when young and water regularly until established, after which it will look after its own water needs. Trim saplings so that in time they form a tight, shapely tree. This lillypilly makes a good hedge if trimmed regularly to increase density.
Syzygium smithii (Lillypilly, Satinash)
This was long considered the definitive “lillypilly” and still carries that common name without any addition. The same goes for the common name “satinash” – several lillypillies carry this name but always with some other descripor e.g. “Creek Satinash”. Goodness knows why because the inner bark of lillypillies does not appear all that “satiny” to me and the genus owes nothing to the European Ash except early whitefella nostalgia. Nor do the simple leaves bear any resemblance to those of the European Ash which are compound and serrated.
If I was to be given the task of renaming this plant for common use I’d probably call it Smith’s Lillypilly or Garden Lillypilly or name it for one of the great Australian nursery propagators who have done so much to bring this plant into our gardens and parks.
It’s just SO useful for many purposes and grows west of the Great Dividing Range as well as from southern coastal Victoria to the tropics. In fact it amazes me that when I wrote Gardening With Australian Rainforest Plants, back in 2001, with Ralph Bailey, that we didn’t give this plant more of a mention. In any case, in the past couple of decades I have learned to love it a lot more!
Vital statistics:
S. smithii has three common forms, “normal” with the usual lanceolate to obovate Syzigium leaves up to 16cm long, narrow-leaved (about half that length and linear to a fine point) and small-leaved (small, sometimes almost rounded leaves with blunter points). Oil dots and lateral veins are visible. Flowers are small and white, fruits are purplish pink and edible but not as palatable as, say, Riberry fruits.
In the garden:
One advantage of this plant – which rarely grows to more than four metres high – is that it makes a good substitute in warmer climates for traditional northern hemisphere garden hedges. The small-leaved form is particularly good for outlining parterres in formal gardens.
Trim regularly to make dense hedge. A good plant for pots. In the ground, mulch when young, sprinkling an all purpose fertiliser such as Dynamic Lifter on the soil before you lay the mulching material. Water well during the first few months. No care is needed after that.
Syzigium moorei (Rose Apple)
Although this tree is rather too large for the home garden I have included it because it is becoming increasingly rare, due to habitat destruction, and thus encouraging people to grow it on their own land will help preserve the species. If you have acreage, make sure you plant it because it is an attractive tree.
I don’t know why it is commonly known as “Rose Apple” because the fruits are white with a pale green tinge and look nothing like apples, though they are large for a Lillypilly.
Vital statistics
The trunk of this large tree can be brown to grey and features distinctive soft tissue-like scales if you look closely. Leaves are typically “Lillypilly”; simple, opposite, obovate to oblong-elliptical with a small, blunt point; lots of oil dots (seen through a lens) and parallel veins. Plus a fairly obvious intramarginal vein. Fluffy flowers are a gorgeous watermelon red, cauliferous (born along the branches) in clusters. Fruit is edible but boring.
In the garden
Give Rose Apple plenty of space and don’t plant too close to buildings. It can be part of a boundary or cluster planting but also makes a fine single specimen out in the open where it won’t grow as tall. Prune the tips lightly and regularly to keep it low (6 – 8 metres) and bushy. Water well and fertilise lightly with blood and bone or chook poo when young.
Of course all rainforest trees bear flowers. Many of them are too large for the home garden but some are just the right size and will reward you with beautiful flowers in season. It may take some years – up to seven – for the trees to bear their first flowers and fruit – but they are worth waiting for!
(NOTE: The trees on this page are well suited to growing in the warmer parts of the United States and other parts of the world where there is no ice, snow or heavy frost. If you need further advice, just email me or use the comments section below).
Beach Acronychia, Logan Apple (Acronychia imperforata)
This is a nice little bush tucker tree, growing to about 15 metres, very common in coastal areas north from Port Stephens in New South Wales.
Vital statistics
Flowers are a bit like apple blossom, born in creamy-white clusters throughout summer to the end of April, four-petalled and very attractive to bees and butterflies.
Leaves are simple, opposite and 1-foliate (bump/joint at the bottom where leaf joins petiole); stiff, very bright green, elliptic to ovate, up to about 12 cm long with a notch at the end.
Fruit is a pale yellow drupe, rounded to slightly pear-shaped. Tart but edible and very good for making jam and chutney, or cooked with sugar into a syrupy dressing over ice cream.
Bark is distinctive; smooth but with fine vertical cracks.
In the garden
This is a tough customer! It will grow almost anywhere but does best near the coast with sandy soils, tolerating long, dry periods as well as sea winds and salt spray. An excellent screening plant.
No need to fertilise, nor water once established. Prune lightly for good shape and desired height.
The similar North Queensland tree/shrub Acronychia acidula (Lemon Aspen) has creamy white, round, usually slightly ribbed fruit which is even tastier than A. imperforata.
Blueberry Ash – (Eleocarpus reticulatus)
Vital statistics
Flowers: Small, pink or white and fringed, like delicate little lampshades or ballerina skirts. The variety sold as “Prima Donna” in garden centres has pink flowers.
Leaves: Oblong or obovate, elliptical, up to about 12 cm long with strongly marked lateral veins. Domatia form small, reddish pockets in the vein angles, tough. 1-foliate, though the swollen joint where it joins the stem may not be prominent. As with all Eleocarpus the leaves turn an attractive red when they fall.
Fruit: An oval drupe, small, a bright blue that attracts birds.
In the garden
This plant occurs naturally in most types of rainforest and also adjoining wet sclerophyll (eucalypt) forest so will tolerate most conditions including light frost when established. Quite easy to propagate from seed.
Give it plenty of space from other trees/shrubs and once it gets to a couple of metres high start pruning the tips so it develops a good growth habit. This tree or large shrub grows very tall and straggly, like most rainforest species, if it is allowed to grow untrimmed or is planted too close to other trees. This may inhibit flowering when young but once it has reached maturity it will reward you with a spectacular burst of colour every spring.
FLAME TREE (Brachychiton acerifolius)
A familiar tree to Australians everywhere because it is one of the few of our rainforest trees to really make it big in the cultivated landscape. The name “Flame Tree” is also used for the African Tulip Tree (now a week in Queensland) but the only thing the two species have in common is red flowers. In winter to early spring this gorgeous tree warms and brightens our streets and gardens wherever it’s planted, while in the tropical and subtropical forest it stands out like…well…a flame among all the greenness of the canopy.
Vital statistics:
The large, simple, alternate leaves, margins lobed or entire are borne on long stems (petioles). They are shed in winter. Flowers can vary from vivid scarlet to a deeper red and are very showy,each one a little five-petalled bell borne in clusters. The seed pods are shaped like boats and can be used in floral decoraion. The yelowish seeds are edible. The bark is distinctive; smooth and lightish green with fawn-coloured roughish horizontal lesions and blotches.
In the garden
This tree is too large for most home gardens though it takes a long time to reach maturity and tends not to grow taller than about 20 metres when in full sun. Pruning when young will keep it under control and promote denser branch growth. It grows almost everywhere except snowy and very arid areas. Propagation is easy from seed or cutting and in warmer areas young plants often seed themselves and pop up in the landscape.
Lacebark is another rainforest species of Brachychiton and though not common in cultivation it is a better size for the home garden. The flowers are a velvety pink and very pretty. This tree needs plenty of careful pruning when young to stop it becoming straggly; if managed in this way it makes a delicious garden specimen. It tolerates up to three months without water, once established.
Oh what a delight this tree is when it reaches the age of full flowering, usually at about six years old. And every year after that it gets bigger and better – a shower of gold and creamy white cascading down from the top every spring.
Vital statistics
Small tree or large shrub that grows northwards from the Blue Mountain forests, in rainforest and close by open forest. Leaves are bright green, growing in whorls around the branchlet, obovate to a sharpish point, veins strongly marked, to about 16 cm in length. Fruit is a capsule containing brown two-winged seeds.
In the garden:
Very easy to propagate from seed. Tolerates all soils. Likes plenty of water when young. Does best in areas with good rainfall but can survive short droughts, up to 3 – 4 months. Young plants susceptible to frost.
This is a good tree for all but the smallest gardens but if space is limited keep to about three metres with trimming. Regular pinching out of new growth when young will form a neat, rounded shape.
This tree was pruned when young to make it bushy.
GOLDEN PENDA(Xanthostemon chrysanthus)
This golden treasure of a garden tree is well named – gold in colour, gold in overall size and appearance, gold in trouble-free growing. What’s not to like about this lovely North Queensland tree that grows anywhere that’s frost free and has good rainfall – or at least plenty of available water in dry seasons.
Vital statistics
Leaves are simple, alternate or whorled, long (to about 20 cm), thick and leathery, usually eliptic with a blunt point and yellowish mid-vein. Flowers are born prolifically in panicles of golden petals containing many long bright yellow stamens. Flowers may appear at any time but are most spectacular in summer to autumn. When the tree is not in flower it still looks good, with a naturally tidy habit and bright green leaves
In the garden
Very easy to grow in most conditions but does best with a reasonably loamy soil. It doesn’t need fertilising, just regular mulching with leaf litter or sugar cane. It makes a spectacular single specimen in full sun or light shade but like most rainforest plants it grows faster when it has a few companions around such as low growing shrubs. If you border it with annuals or other plants that require fertilising, be careful, because this is another plant in the Proteaceae family that can’t take too much high-phosphorus fertiliser. It’s best to give your flowering annuals light sprays of liquid formulation that doesn’t seep to deep into the surrounding soil.
IVORY CURL (Buckinghamia celsissima)
This north Queensland rainforest beauty can be grown as either a tree or a shrub. In the forest it stretch to 30 metres but when it is grown as a single specimen out in the open where it doesn’t have to compete with other trees the Ivory Curl will multi-stem and grow to the height of a tall shrub or tree to about eight metres. It’s a very popular street tree in Queensland and northern New South Wales but is also comfortable in Melbourne gardens.
Vital statisics
Leaves are long (to 20 cm), simple, young plants with lobes but margins entire in mature plants with a strongly marked mid-vein. Flowers are typical of the Proteaceae; creamy white, in pendant clusters, each long raceme made up of tiny flowers. These appear for a long time during autumn-winter and the tree can be so thickly covered that from a distance it looks like snow! Seed pods are green and clustered along the stem after the flowers have gone, turning first a greyish-buff colour and then a dull black. They have a little tendril-like appendage at the tip and are very attractive when dried.
In the garden
Ivory Curl will tolerate the worst clay and rocky soils though growth is faster in richer, loamier ground. There is no need to feed when young but if you wish to give your seedling a boost, make sure to use a native plant formula because plants in the family Proteaceae are sensitive to phosphorus overdose, having evolved on soils deficient in this nutrient. Water regularly when young; as the plant matures it can tolerate long periods without rain. Prune for a neat, rounded shape.
This really is one of the best and toughest and prettiest small trees for the home garden. Plant them in a row and you’ve got a spectacular hedge.
Lemon Myrtle (Backhousia citriodora)
This is a MUST for any home garden. It’s a small tree that can be encouraged to multi-stem and remain at shrub height, the flowers are pretty and bright green leaves are lemon-scented and flavoured – in my opinion it’s the best source of lemon flavour to use in cooking apart from lemons themselves. A lot more palatable than, for example, lemon grass.
If I could choose only one rainforest tree/shrub for my garden, this would be it!
Vital statsitics
Leaves are simple, opposite, light green, narrowly elliptic to a drawn-out point, margins can be lightly toothed, oil dots typical of rainforest plant leaves in the Myrtaceae family (myrtles) and give out a strong lemony smell when crushed. Flowers are creamy white and fluffy. The fruit has a flower-like appearance because of the five sepals arranged around the central capsule.
In the garden
Lemon myrtle is a tough performer in all climates except the coldest and driest. It tolerates any soil but grows faster and with brighter, lusher foliage in moderately deep, loamy soils. Water regularly when young, mulch with sugar cane or any vegetative matter at least once a year in spring, feed with any general tree/shrub fertiliser. Prune early and regularly to limit height and encourage bushiness.
This is a hard plant to propagate from seed; cuttings will take but very slowly. Leaves can be harvested for cooking when needed, or dried and kept bagged. Both fresh and dry leaves make a fragrant tea.
In the home
Lemon myrtle leaves can be used in the kitchen whenever you want a lemon flavour. The leaves are especially useful in infusing dishes made with either milk or cream as they don’t cause curdling. They can also be used in pickles and chutneys.
And there is one more thing about this marvellous plant – the essential oils in the leaves have disinfectant and biocidal properties. When distilled they are used a great deal in homeopathic medicine and also in mainstream products for treatment of minor skin problems and household cleaning. Using the leaves as an infusion in hot water MAY help with intestinal parasites and maintain good health in the digestive and urinary tract. There is no hard scientific evidence of this but it won’t do you any harm! I have a friend who for years has drunk infusions of leaves (fresh and dried) three times a day for years and claims she owes her excellent health and digestion to this. I often drink lemon myrtle “tea”, from my own tree, and chill infusions to make a lightly-flavoured, slightly astringent lemonade, with whole leaves and lemon slices floating in it. This infusion can also be frozen into ice blocks.
Grey myrtle, Carroll (Backhousia myrtifolia)
The Grey Myrtle doesn’t possess the lovely lemony qualities of its better known Lemon Myrtle cousin but it is still an attractive shrub with a light, spicy-sweet aroma. It looks very similar, though the leaves tend to be shorter and more ovate with more tapered tips. It’s a small enough tree for any garden if trimmed to an appropriate height. The leaves can be used in cooking, in the same way that you would use nutmeg or cinnamon.
Tree Waratah (Alloxylon flammeum)
Now here’s a showy spring-flowering tree for the larger home garden, which is quite easy to grow in warmer, wetter areas. It doesn’t usually flower until it’s about ten years old but when it does the big, red blooms are worth the weight.
Vital statistics
The leaves are handsome: large, shiny, simple, alternate and often lobed when mature. Flowers are rather like those of grevillea species, large and clustered, bright orange-red with long, tubular perianths arranged in a corymb. The seed pods are interesting too, long and rectangular containing flattish, winged seeds. These pods can be dried and used in floral arrangements.
In the garden
Not a tree for small gardens but a lovely as a specimen tree or in a cluster of other trees and shrubs. It’s frost-tender when young and needs plenty of water at this early stage. Some light feeding with a low phosphorous native plant fertiliser for strong growth will help too though is not essential except in very poor soils. Trim new growth regularly to stop the young tree becoming straggly.
Propagate from seed or hard wood cuttings (slow!).
The Dorrigo Waratah (Alloxylon pinnatum) has proved difficult to propagate past the seedling stage but if you can find one in a native plant nursery it’s worth growing. For one thing, it’s not as tall as its more flamboyant cousin. The flowers tend to be less prolific but are an attractive pinkish red and look great in a vase.
Golden myrtle (Thaleropia, formerly Metrosideros queenslandica)
Thaleropia is a lovely tree from the mountain forests of far north Queensland and it doesn’t grow very large, 10 metres at most, making it suitable for the home garden.
Vital statistics: The glossy green simple leaves are slightly serrated with a prominent mid vein. They are born close to the stem and have typically pointed rainforest species “drip tips” at the apex. The bright golden flowers are five-petalled and slightly cupped from the centre, with long and prominent stamens.
In the garden: Thaleropia will do well in any warm climate garden and, once established, needs very little care. It can be pruned every autumn to control height and promote bushiness, if desired. Regular watering is required in dry periods – just a good soaking with the hose once a week will do.
Lyrebird Mountain 