Cherry alder, Cherry satinash
Syzygium luehmannii

Family: Myrtaceae

What it is like

A tree. It grows up to 15-35 m tall and with a spread of 6 m. They grow as smaller trees when grown out of the rainforest. It has a dense crown of leaves. The stem is erect and often it has buttresses. The bark is flaky and greyish-brown. The new growth is bright red. The leaves are stiff. They are 6 cm long by 3 cm across. The leaves taper towards the tip. They are shiny green on both surfaces but the upper surface is darker green. The flowers are small and white. They occur in dense clusters at the ends of branches. The fruit are pinkish red to purple and pear shaped. They are about 1 cm across and 2 cm long. There is one seed in the fruit but often the fruit are seedless. The fruit are edible.

They are rich in folates.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It grows in warm temperate regions but can grow in the tropics and subtropics. It grows in north eastern Australia in New South Wales and Queensland. It is a rainforest species. Trees will grow in cooler places and can tolerate sunlight even when young. They need well drained soil. They can grow on a variety of soils but do best on light well composted soils. They need plenty of moisture to grow well but can survive a drought. Plants are frost tender but can stand light frosts. In Papua New Guinea it has been seen at 1,600 m above sea level. Melbourne Botanical Gardens. It suits hardiness zones 9-12. Mt Cootha Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Australia (country/location of origin), Papua New Guinea

How it is used for food

The ripe fruit are eaten raw. They are also made into jams, jellies, sauces, vinegar and marmalade.

Edible parts

Fruit

How it is grown

Plants are grown from fresh seed. Often many fruit do not have seeds. Seeds do not always germinate well. Cuttings are difficult to get to grow. Tip cuttings are best.

Trees grow moderately quickly. The flowers occur October to December and the fruit are ripe November to March.

Its other names

Local names

Clove lilly pilly, Riberry, Small-leaf Lilly-Pilly, Small-leaved Water Gum

Synonyms

Austromyrtus exaltata (F. M. Bailey) Burret; Eugenia luehmannii F. Muell.; Myrtus exaltata F. M. Bailey;