Practical
Plants

Elaeocarpus cyaneus

Blueberry Ash

a perennial woody evergreen member of the Elaeocarpus genus in the family Elaeocarpaceae.

No photo available

Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
evergreen
Woodiness
woody
Height
12 m
Spread
12 m
Flower type
hermaphrodite

Uses

Edible uses

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

Fruit[2]. The dark blue fruit is 8 - 10mm in diameter[9]. No more details.

Plant part
Fruit

Material uses

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

Wood - close grained, fairly hard. Used for cabinet making, joinery etc[3].

Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Secondary canopy

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria.
Habitat
Forest gullies and wooded ranges[3], usually near the coast[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
very acid, acid, neutral
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

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

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse[8]. Seed can be very slow to germinate, sometimes taking 2 years or more[4]. 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 almost ripe shoots, August/September in a sandy soil in a frame. The leaves should be left on the stem.[1][8]

Cultivation

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

Prefers a fertile humus-rich well-drained soil[8]. Other reports say that it requires a moist lime-free soil[5][6]. Succeeds in full sun or partial shade[7]. This species is hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[4], though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer, colder and wetter winters. This species is said to succeed outdoors in our mildest gardens[6], especially if given a sheltered position such as a south or south-west facing wall[8].

References

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

    ↩

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

    ↩

  3. Ewart. A. J. Flora of Victoria.

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2

  5. Holliday. I. and Hill. R. A Field Guide to Australian Trees. Frederick Muller Ltd. 1974-00-00 ISBN 0-85179-627-3

    ↩1↩2

  6. Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2

    ↩1↩2

  7. Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-86318-386-7

    ↩

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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

  9. Carolin. R. & Tindale. M. Flora of the Sydney Region Reed. Australia. 1993-00-00 ISBN 0730104001

    ↩

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