Wombat Berry
Eustrephus latifolius

Family: Philesiaceae

What it is like

Eustrephus latifolius is a PERENNIAL CLIMBER growing to 5 m (16ft 5in). It is in flower in June. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland). It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 5

Where it is found

Open forests, extending into dry woodlands and rainforests.

Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw. It has very little flesh. The orange berry is about 10mm in diameter. Root - raw. Juicy with a sweet flavour, but barely worth the effort of excavating them. The roots bear small tubers up to 3cm long. It has been suggested that these tubers are probably capable of enlargement through cultivation.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

Requires a sheltered position with plenty of humus in the soil. Succeeds in heavy shade in Australian gardens, requiring shade in most soil types. This species is not very hardy in Britain, though it can succeed outdoors in the mildest areas of the country. It tolerates temperatures down 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. Plants require support by tying.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant out into their permanent positions in early summer. Division in spring.

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

Habit: Perennial Climber

Hardiness:

Growth:

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

Shade: Semi-shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

E. brownii.