Blueberry ash

This native tree produces pretty flowers and edible fruit, and is a good all-rounder for the home garden, writes

Blueberry ash (Elaeocarpus reticulatus) has lots to offer, especially if you need privacy. It is tall, evergreen, narrow and fairly fast growing, with small, fringed white or pink flowers in spring and early summer that stand out against its serrated dark green leaves. To be assured of pink flowers, look for the variety ‘Prima Donna’.

These dainty flowers, just 1cm in length, give blueberry ash the alternative common name of fairy petticoats. Perhaps fairies no longer wear petticoats, as blueberry ash is the name that is widely used.

While the flowers are exquisite and deserving of admiration, it is the fruit that makes this tree a winner. Masses of edible blueberry-like fruits ripen from autumn and persist for months. They can be used to make tea or jam, but are best left for the birds, particularly wonga pigeons and crimson rosellas. Before male bowerbirds discovered blue plastic items, such as pegs and milk-bottle tops, they homed in on this sapphire-blue fruit to adorn their bowers.

If the fruit isn’t eaten or collected for home decoration, it continues well into spring, when the tree blooms again.

growing tips

Blueberry ash is a rainforest tree that grows naturally along Australia’s east coast from Fraser Island in subtropical Queensland to Flinders Island in chilly

Bass Strait. Given a frost-free spot and plenty of water while it’s establishing, it will grow in all but the coldest and driest gardens. It can be propagated from seed or cutting but, to give you a head start, look for potted plants at your local garden centre or native plant nursery.

It makes a great feature tree or privacy screen, and autumn is ideal for planting so it puts on good growth before winter. For a tall hedge or screen, plant 2–3m apart. In a narrow space in cultivation, it rarely exceeds 5–8m tall. It can also be grown in a large container, with regular pruning after flowering to keep it bushy.

care & maintenance

Feed blueberry ash with a slow-release native plant fertiliser in spring, and add a layer of compost as mulch.

There are few pest or disease problems with this tree. The occasional red leaf is a natural feature, as is a whitish bloom that sometimes occurs on the leaf margins.

More serious is an attack of sawfly larvae (also known as spitfires), which can defoliate small trees. While these grubs are not true caterpillars, they can do a lot of damage as they congregate in large numbers, feeding at night. Look for clusters on the tree in the day and carefully remove them by trimming the branch. Squash the larvae or drop them into a bucket of soapy water.