The Illawarra Plum (Podocarpus elatus) is native to sub-tropical eastern New South Wales and Queensland. It is also known as Daalgaal and Gidneywallum. The vivid purple fruit has a plum/pine flavour which is primarily harvested in the wild.
The Blue Lilly Pilly (Syzygium oleosum), also known as blue cherry and scented satinash, produces palatable blue-purple berries that are crunchy and light with a mild sweetness. In the wild, you'll find these plants around the eastern Australian rainforest regions.
There are many kinds of Lilly Pilly; the fruits of all species are edible, although some taste better than others. In the Edible Forest, we grow Syzygium Australae, or Lilly Pilly Pinnacle, which we grow for their architectural shape and that don't require hedging.
Lilly Pilly berries emit a clove-like aroma and are mildly acidic with a sweet-tart, musky, and metallic flavor. Many varieties will also have fruity, spice-filled notes reminiscent of cinnamon, pears, cranberries, and apples.
All varieties of Lilly Pilly berries are edible. Although they can be eaten directly from the tree, they are quite tart and mostly, they are made into jellies, jams, and chutneys.
Thankfully, lilly pilly species are perfectly safe for dogs. The worst that can happen, if they eat too many of the shed berries, is some gastrointestinal upset (if concerned, please take your dog to a vet) but otherwise, Backyard Bliss is considered non-toxic to dogs.
Medicinal. Lilly Pilly was used by the native aborigines for its anti-bacterial properties. In addition, it also had great healing components present in it. Rich in vitamin C, it has good astringent properties that improve the firmness of the skin which in turn helps your skin look radiant and youthful.
Lilly Pilly
This fruit features widely in traditional Aboriginal medicine, used as a treatment for sore ears, wounds and skin conditions, and generally consumed as an immune system booster.
The most common problems that can arise with lilly pillies are: Psyllids – Some lilly pillies are frequently attacked by this sap sucking pest which can be difficult to eradicate. The species Syzygium australe and it's many cultivars are very susceptible.
The fruits of the Creek Lilly Pilly (Syzgium australe) are particularly tasty, as are the slightly tarter fruits of the Szygium luehmannii. The fruits can be eaten fresh from the tree, or used to make jams, cordials and sauces.
Apart from its astringent properties, Lilly Pilly is also rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins that help create a protective barrier against free radicals and oxidative stress. In fact, studies have shown that Lilly Pilly has 2 times higher oxygen radical absorbance capacity than blueberries.
Satin bowerbirds, crimson rosellas, silvereyes, Australian king-parrots and topknot pigeons will all feed on the fruits on the tree. Wonga pigeons and currawongs make a good meal of ,fallen fruits. A fruiting lilly pilly in a sheltered gully in the bush is generally an excellent place to sit and wait for the birds.
Midyim berries (aka. midgen berry, sand berry) are among the most delicious of all the bush tucker plants, similar in taste and appearance to the blueberry; reported to be a favourite Aboriginal bushfood around Moreton Bay.
Also known as Chilean Wineberry, maqui berry is an exotic dark-purple berry that originally hails from South America. It is mainly harvested by the Mapuche Indians of Chile who have used the stems, leaves, and berries for medicinal purposes for thousands of years.
Purple beautyberry, in the Lamiaceae (mint) family, is a small rounded, compact, deciduous, woody shrub with showy, ornamental fruits that may last long after the shrub has dropped its leaves for winter. It is a native of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. The genus, Callicarpa, is Greek and means beautiful fruit.
Lilly pilly is native to Australia and although it grows as tall as 30 metres in its natural setting you can easily prune them to a much more manageable size.
This lilly pilly is about the size of a small marble, but fruit size does vary from one species to another. Although lilly pilly fruit is edible, it is not very tasty. However, it is delicious made into a chutney, or try the recipe below for lilly pilly jelly.
Aside from its use in cooking, Lilly Pilly is also incredibly nourishing for the skin and was even used by indigenous Australians to heal and clean the skin as well as nourish the body with it's high vitamin C content.
Generally a healthy Lilli Pilly will live around 20 year or more. However, the lifespan of a Lilly Pilly can vary depending on the variety and the growing conditions. In general, Lilly Pillys are long-lived plants.
Lilly Pilly (syzygium or acmena), particularly the smaller varieties, make an excellent tub plant on the patio or in the courtyard and will attract birds. Possums also eat lilly pilly – from the leaves to the red berries.
Possums love eating Lilly Pillies. If the damage isn't too bad then just let them feed on the plants.
The berries are edible and can be made into products as diverse as jam and wine and are said to taste delicious with cheese. Lilly Pilly has been used by First Nations people for generations as a treatment for sore ears, wounds and skin conditions, as well providing a rich source of Vitamin C.
As Lilly pillies generally do not have invasive roots, you can plant them quite close to a fence. The distance depends on the variety you're growing. Generally, if a Lilly pilly variety has the capacity to reach a width of 2 metres, you can safely plant these at a distance of 1 metre from the fence.
Grewia latifolia is a small shrub that is endemic to Northern and Eastern Australia. Its fruits have a distinct similarity to dog testicles, giving rise to the common name of dogs balls. Other common names include emu berry and dysentery plant.