Practical
Plants

Persoonia levis

Broad-Leaved Geebong

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Taxonomy and growth

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

Uses

Edible uses

Fruit - raw or cooked. Succulent but astringent[2]. The fruit has a sweet fibrous pulp that is fixed to one large seed, it tastes somewhat like sweet cotton wool and is relished by the Australian Aborigines[3].

Plant part
Fruit

Environment

Range
Australia - New South Wales, Victoria.
Habitat
Heaths and dry sclerophyll forests on sandy and stony soils[3][5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
no shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 9+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy
Soil pH
acid, neutral
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - scarify the seed and sow it in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Keep the seed tray in a sunny position during the following summer and the seed should germinate in the autumn. About 46% germination can be expected. Carefully prick the young seedlings out into individual pots within 1 - 2 days of emerging, the root is very brittle and plants are easily killed[4]. Grow the plants on in the greenhouse for at least their first 2 winters and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Give some protection from winter cold for at least their first winter outdoors.

Cultivation

Requires a warm position in full sun in a freely draining preferably sandy slightly acid soil, preferring a pH around 6.3 to 6.5[4]. Soils should be low in nutrients, especially nitrates and phosphates[4]. Plants are not very hardy outdoors in Britain and usually require cool greenhouse treatment[1]. Plants tolerate temperatures down to at least -7°c in Australian gardens, though this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to 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. Wrigley. J. W. and Fagg. M. Australian Native Plants. Collins. (Australia) 1988-00-00 ISBN 0-7322-0021-0

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

    ↩1↩2

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

    ↩

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