Pink Mountain Berry
Cyathodes parviflora

Family: Epacridaceae

What it is like

Cyathodes parviflora is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1 m (3ft 3in) at a slow rate.It is in leaf all year. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Drier rocky slopes to 1200 metres. Usually found on sandy or rocky seacoasts in Australia.

Australia - New South Wales, Tasmania. New Zealand.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Fruit - raw or cooked. Pleasantly sweet and juicy but it has a large seed. A delightful lemony flavour. The fruit is about 5mm wide.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

Wood - tough and hard.

Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.

How it is grown

Requires a moist well-drained lime-free humus rich soil in a sheltered site in partial or dappled shade. Plants are very susceptible to drought. A good rock garden plant. Slow growing. There is some doubt in my mind over the correct spelling of this species. The RHS dictionary has an entry on C. parviflora from New Zealand which also occupies rocky habitats, it is possible that C parvifolia is just a mis-spelling of C. parviflora or vice versa. This species is not very hardy in Britain, it might succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country otherwise it is best grown in a cold greenhouse. Plants are hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. Plants grow best in areas with moderate winters and cool moist summers. Plants have very fine root systems and great care must be taken when transplanting them.

Propagating it: Seed - surface sow in ericaceous soil, February/March in a cold frame. Do not exclude light. Germination can take place within 1 - 2 months at 18°c but often takes 3 - 5 years. Scarification will reduce the germination time and 2 or 3 periods of 4 - 6 weeks cold stratification alternated with 4 weeks warm stratification can also help. Perhaps sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe would also be beneficial. The seedlings can be very slow to form roots and need to be potted up with great care. Grow them on for at least two years in the greenhouse before planting them out in late spring or early summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Neither easy nor reliable. Air layering.

Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness:

Growth: Slow

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

C. parvifolia. C. richei. Leucopogon parviflorus. Andrews.