Sweet Appleberry
Billardiera cymosa
Family: Pittosporaceae
What it is like
Billardiera cymosa is an evergreen Climber. It is in leaf all year. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid and neutral soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Woodlands, mallees and coastal heaths, on sandy soils.
Australia - South Australia, Victoria.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Fruit - raw or cooked. A delightful aniseed flavour. The fruit is up to 1.5cm long.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
How it is grown
Requires a moist, well-drained, humus-rich, lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade with a cool root run. Plants are hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. They probably require greenhouse protection in Britain, though they may succeed outdoors in a selected area in the milder areas of this country. Mulching the roots in winter will provide extra protection for the plant and even if the top is cut back by the cold it might resprout from the base.
Propagating it: Seed - best sown in a warm greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Only just cover the seed. Sow stored seed in early spring in a warm greenhouse. The germination of fresh seed is usually prolific, but stored seed can take a year to germinate. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10 - 12cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Fair percentage. Layering.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Climber
Hardiness:
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist