Brown damson
Terminalia arenicola
Family: Combretaceae
What it is like
A tree which loses many of its leaves during the year. It grows to 6-12 m tall and spreads to 5 m across. The stem is erect and the branches are horizontal in layers. The bark has a checkered pattern. The crown of the tree is neat and compact. The leaves are simple, oval and broad. They are leathery and taper towards the point. The leaves are 10-20 cm long. They have a leaf stalk. There are small tufts of hairs near the veins. There are 2 nectar producing glands on the underside of the leaf near the leaf base. The flowers are white and not easily seen. The fruit are dark red or black and are oval berries. They are 2.5-5 cm long and about 3-4 cm across. They are carried on a simple unbranched stalk in the axils of leaves. The thin layer of flesh on the fruit is edible. There is one seed inside. The seed is edible.
There are about 150-200 Terminalia species. They are tropical.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. It grows naturally in rainforest in north east Queensland in Australia. It prefers light to medium soils. Often it grows near the beach front. It suits an open sunny position. It is drought resistant and salt tolerant. It is damaged by frost. In Townsville Anderson BG.
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia (country/location of origin), Hawaii, Pacific, USA
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Seeds, fruit, nuts
How it is grown
Plants can be grown from seed. The seed is slow to start to grow. It may take 10 weeks for seed to start to grow.
In Australia the fruiting season is February to October. Seedlings grow rapidly. Trees start to produce fruit after 4 years.