Billardiera cymosa
| Billardiera cymosa | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-7.3 |
| Evergreen | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Billardiera cymosa (common name: sweet appleberry)
Propagation: 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[1]. 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: Requires a moist, well-drained, humus-rich, lime-free soil in sun or semi-shade with a cool root run[1].
Plants are hardy to at least -7°c in Australian gardens[2] but this cannot be translated directly to British gardens due to our cooler summers and longer colder and wetter winters. They probably require greenhouse protection in Britain[3], though they may succeed outdoors in a selected area in the milder areas of this country. Mulching the roots in winter will provide extra protection for the plant and even if the top is cut back by the cold it might resprout from the base[1].
Range: Australia - South Australia, Victoria.
Habitat: Woodlands, mallees and coastal heaths[4], on sandy soils[5].
Edibility: Fruit - raw or cooked[6]. A delightful aniseed flavour[4]. The fruit is up to 1.5cm long[4].
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
In Leaf: Evergreen
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Wrigley, John and Murray Fagg. Australian Native Plants. Collins, 1988.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Low, Tim. Wild Food Plants of Australia. Angus and Robertson, 1989.
- ↑ Ewart, Alfred. Recording Census of the Victorian Flora. 1923.
- ↑ Cribb, Alan and Joan Cribb. Wild Food in Australia. Fontana, 1976.