June’s featured plant was the COOLAMON tree – talk by Carole Gamble
The Coolamon tree Syzygium moorei is a native rainforest lilly pilli
The Coolamon tree (or Rose Apple or Watermelon Tree) is endemic to this region & up to the Queensland border.
It is a tall tree (up to 20 metres) with large glossy leaves.
When young it is quite upright with tightly held branches but with age the tree opens up & it will flower along the trunk and branches, normally in November.
Sometimes called the watermelon tree due to the colour of its flowers which are borne completely inside the crown on every available branch.
Large white fruit that appear in Autumn are juicy & edible but with little flavour.
It hosts an abundance of birds ... nectar, insect and fruit eaters.