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Syzygium luehmannii

Riberry

Myrtaceae

Subtropical and littoral rainforest, north-eastern New South Wales and eastern Queensland, Australia

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Fragrant (light)Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 10–11

Overview

Syzygium luehmannii is an evergreen rainforest tree in the Myrtaceae reaching 100 feet (30 m) in closed forest and 16-40 feet (5-12 m) in open cultivation, with a dense conical to rounded crown 10-20 feet (3-6 m) across. Bark is grey-brown and finely scaly, buttressed at the base on old forest trees. Leaves are opposite, ovate-lanceolate with a drawn-out tip, 1.2-2.4 inches (3-6 cm) long and 0.4-1 inch (1-2.5 cm) wide, glossy dark green when mature; each growth flush emerges pink to red and holds that colour for 2-3 weeks before hardening to green. Cream to white flowers 0.2-0.3 inches (5-8 mm) across open in branched terminal panicles from November to January, each built from numerous stamens rather than showy petals. Fruit are pear-shaped red drupes 0.3-0.5 inches (8-13 mm) long with a single seed, ripening December to February with a tart flavour combining cranberry and clove, and are harvested commercially as an Australian native food. Growth runs 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) per year under irrigation. Young plants are damaged below 30F (-1C), fruit set falls sharply in dry summers, and heavy crops draw fruit fly and fruit-piercing moths.

Native Range

Syzygium luehmannii is native to eastern Australia, occurring in subtropical and littoral rainforest from around Kempsey in New South Wales north to Cape Tribulation in Queensland. It grows on basaltic and alluvial soils from sea level to 2,600 feet (800 m), as a canopy or sub-canopy tree in closed forest along the coast and adjacent ranges. Remaining stands are fragmented after historic clearing of lowland rainforest for agriculture.

Suggested Uses

Grown as a screening and hedging plant in subtropical and warm-temperate gardens, spaced 3-6 feet (1-1.8 m) apart for hedging and 16-26 feet (5-8 m) apart as a shade tree. Planted in commercial native-food orchards for fruit harvested December to February and sold fresh, frozen or dried. Also grown in containers of 20 gallons (76 litres) or larger on courtyards, and included in rainforest revegetation plantings on the east coast.

How to Identify

New growth flushes emerge pink to bright red across the whole crown and hold that colour for 2-3 weeks. Mature leaves are opposite, glossy dark green, 1.2-2.4 inches (3-6 cm) long, with a drawn-out tip and oil dots visible when a leaf is held up to light. Fruit are pear-shaped rather than round, red, 0.3-0.5 inches (8-13 mm) long, with a persistent calyx rim at the broad end. S. smithii is separated by larger leaves 2.4-4 inches (6-10 cm) long and by round white to mauve-pink fruit.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height16' - 100'

Width/Spread10' - 20'

Reaches mature size in approximately 20 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering runs from November to January in eastern Australia, with a main flush of 3-4 weeks in December that follows the summer growth flush. Flowers are cream to white, 0.2-0.3 inches (5-8 mm) across, made up of stamens about 0.2 inches (5 mm) long in branched terminal panicles. Fruit ripen 6-10 weeks after flowering, from late December through February. Flowering is heavier following a wet spring and is reduced or skipped after drought.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

Cream to white

Foliage Description

Glossy dark green, new growth pink to red

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay silt

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

tender

Time to Maturity

5-8 years to first fruiting

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Syzygium luehmannii grows in full sun to part shade with 4-10 hours of direct exposure; plants in deep shade grow upright with sparse branching and set little fruit. It roots on moisture-retentive loam, clay loam and volcanic soils at pH 5.5-7.0 with free drainage, and struggles on dry sandy soils without irrigation. Water use is 8-13 gallons (30-50 litres) weekly in summer for young trees, dropping to occasional deep watering once established, though fruit size falls in dry seasons. A spring application of 3.5 oz per square yard (100 g per square metre) of complete fertiliser carries the summer flush, and this species tolerates phosphorus levels that damage many Australian natives. Established trees withstand 30F (-1C) briefly, while young plants defoliate at that temperature. Psyllid damage is lighter than on S. paniculatum and S. smithii, though scale insects and sooty mould build up on shaded interior growth.

Pruning

Pruning is carried out after fruiting ends in late summer to early autumn, so that flower buds formed on the following spring growth are retained. The species reshoots from bare wood, and hedged plants cut back by 12-24 inches (30-60 cm) refoliate within 6-8 weeks in warm conditions. Hedging two or three times a year produces repeated pink growth flushes but removes most flowering and fruiting wood. Lower limbs are lifted over the first 5 years where a clear trunk is wanted.

Pruning Schedule

summerfall