Practical
Plants

Billardiera scandens

Common Appleberry

an evergreen member of the Billardiera genus in the family Pittosporaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Foliage
evergreen
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Fruit - raw or cooked[2][4]. Unripe fruits can be roasted[7]. A pleasant sub-acid flavour akin to dried apples[8][3]. Tastes like kiwi fruits (Actinidia deliciosa)[7]. The fruits are up to 2.5cm long[7].

Plant part
Fruit

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Climber

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat
By mountain streams or scrub country in forests, by coasts and on tablelands[4].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

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[9]. 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.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Requires a moist, well-drained, humus-rich, lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade with a cool root run[9]. This species usually requires greenhouse protection in Britain[1], but plants can succeed outdoors on a wall in mild areas of the country[6]. They tolerate temperatures down to at least -7°c[5] in Australian gardens but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens because of our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters.

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

    ↩

  3. Cribb. A. B. and J. W. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana 1976-00-00 ISBN 0-00-634436-4

    ↩

  4. Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

    ↩1↩2

  5. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

    ↩

  6. Taylor. J. The Milder Garden. Dent 1990-00-00

    ↩

  7. Low. T. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0-207-14383-8

    ↩1↩2↩3

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

    ↩

  9. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

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