Some Syzygium Species Notes

The fruit of the Syzygium are reddish berries. The plant prefers a well composted, well drained, moist soil, in a protected sunny position for optimum growth. It is drought and frost tender. An evergreen tree it grows to a height of 10m with a spread of 3m. It has an erect branching stern, the leaves are circular, opposite and 15cm across. It has striking white flowers, sized about 5cm across.

Syzygium moorei
The succulent fruit of this lilly-pilly are coloured white tinged with green. They are about 6.5cm across. It is unknown at this stage whether the fruit is edible.

Planchonia careya
This plant was used extensively by Aboriginal people as both a food and as a herbal medicine for ulcers and sores. It is often known as 'Cocky apple' and shares the common names of 'bush mango' and 'wild quince'. It is indigenous to Northern and Western Australia.
The fruit are the size of a small apple and only ripe fruit should be eaten. Those must have a soft yellow pulp to be eaten. The pulp and the seeds are sucked out.
Fruits are 5cm across, while the deciduous tree itself grows to 2Om with a spread of 5m. It has an erect stem and spreading branches, with alternate, tapering leaves about 15cm long. It is drought and frost tender.

Syzygium paniculatum
Myrtaceae
Distribution:Littoral, and subtropical rainforests of the central coast of New South Wales. Common Name:Scrub or magenta cherry.
General Description:
Syzygium is a genus of about 500 species occurring in tropical and subtropical rainforests. There are about 8 species in Australia all confined to New South Wales and Queensland. There has been considerable botanical revision of this and the related genera Acmena and Eugenia. The species formerly known as Eugenia australis is now regarded as two separate species, Syzygium australe and S.paniculatum.
S.paniculatum is a shrub or small tree with flaky bark. The leaves are opposite (each pair emerges from the stem at the same location but on opposing sides), lance-shaped or elliptical in shape and bright, glossy green. White flowers appear in summer and are followed by large, fleshy, magenta-coloured fruits. These are ovoid in shape and around 20 mm long with a large seed. The fruits are edible and are often made into jams.
S.paniculatum is a reliable species in most temperate and subtropical climates. It prefers rich soils and assured moisture. An attractive form with variagated foliage is in cultivation. The species can be grown successfully in a large tub.
Propagation is usually carried out from fresh seed, either by sowing the fruits whole or after removing the flesh. Germination may be slow and spasmodic. The species can also be grown from cuttings of firm, current season's growth.

LADY APPLE
(Syzygium suborbiculare)
Greg Calvert
Family Myrtaceae.
This plant species, related to the lilly-pilly, is indigenous to Northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. The Aborigines used this species for medicinal purposes, finding it a very effective agent in treating stomach pains.
Driving through the woodlands of Cape York, the top end of the Northern Territory, or the Kimberleys of Western Australia, a traveller can't help but notice the beautiful lime green leaves of a large spreading tree. The tree is Syzygium suborbiculare, often described in books as the Red Bush Apple or Forest Satinash, but more commonly known as the Lady Apple.
This tree is one of the lilly pillys in the family Myrtaceae, but, unlike most lilly pillys, it is not an inhabitant of rainforests. It has large, broad, leathery leaves (suborbiculare literally means "almost round", referring to the leaves) and a flaky bark. An unusual feature of this tree is that it has a lignotuber: an underground storage organ which allows it to regenerate following fire or being chopped down, much like a eucalyptus tree.
The Lady Apple can be seen as a large spreading tree up to 12 metres in height, or a low gnarled shrub in exposed coastal areas. On the sand dunes around Cape Flattery it even occurs as a spreading prostrate scrambler, growing side by side with the famous prostrate variety of Grevillea pteridifolia. The flowering period is from July to October. However, flowering gets later in the season the further south you head from the tip of Cape York. The flowers are huge white brushes of long white stamens, which are short-lived, but nevertheless very spectacular.
The fruits (which are ripe October-December) have to be the biggest attraction. In harsh, windswept areas the fruits are not much bigger than 3cm in diameter, but under the right conditions are nearly 10cm. They are a dark, blood red in colour and strongly ribbed, unlike most lilly pillys. The flesh is firm and crunchy and can easily be broken away from the single large seed. The flesh has a sharp pleasant tang and is greatly revered by all bush travellers who know it. Apart from eating huge numbers of fruit, Aborigines are known to use the fruit for colds and chest congestion and squeeze the juice and pulp into their ears to relieve earache.
Because of its ability to tolerate salt spray, drought and fire, while giving good shade, beautiful flowers and exquisite fruit, I believe this tree should be seen more often in cultivation, especially in the dry tropics.
(Reprinted from "The Native Gardener", Newsletter of SGAP Townsville Branch,