Description: This slender graceful evergreen tree grows to 6 - 10m, slow at first. It occurs throughout tropical East Asia, India, Australia and New Zealand. The flowers, which come in pink or white, are delicate, fringed, bell-shaped and lightly fragrant. The bright blue berries, 1cm diameter, follow the flowers and persist into winter. This hardy small growing native tree with dense deep green foliage with bronze green new growth. In late spring the foliage is covered with masses of lampshade looking flowers - a spectacular display.
Care: Give them moist soil, well-drained and fairly fertile. Tolerates only very light frosts. Grow it in full sun or part shade. This tree is not drought tolerant. No pruning is necessary, just trim lightly to shape if needed. Plant into full sunshine to part shade in well-drained soil and keep just moist. Mulch well. Frost tolerant. Propagate from semi-hardwood cuttings or from seed that has been soaked to soften. Seeds may take 2 years to germinate.
Cultivars: The straight species has white flowers while 'Prima Donna' has pale pink flowers both are followed by clusters of dark blue berries.
Uses: Specimen tree, privacy screen or windbreak.
Those looking for a gorgeous privacy screen might like to look out for another in this family - Eleocarpus eumundii - a lush rainforest shrub that can be clipped with a bronze tinge to its emerald green leaves.
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