Pruning Up High, Tubers to Eat and for Flowers

What’s On The Show Today?

There’s more to know in how to prune in high places, part 2 in Tool Time, tuberous roots that will propel you in Vegetable Heroes; continuing the series on mass planting with Garden Designer Peter Nixon in Design elements, and an Iris that signifies love in the new Talking Flowers segment

TOOL TIME

High Reach Pruning part 2

Now’s a good time of the year to do a bit of pruning, wherever you live in Australia.
Last week we talked to Tony Mattson, general Manager of Cut Above Tools on how to prune up high.
There was so much to say that we created a part two of high reach pruning.


Kifsgate, England photo M Cannon

So how do we prune this safely, and if possible, without getting up on a ladder?
Let’s find out….
I'm talking with Tony Mattson General Manager of www.cutabovetools.com.au 

Heavy Duty Gear Action Pruner can be attached to a 5m or 6m pole

Tony says using a straight ladder isn't too bad in that you can wedge the top two rungs into tree branches.

A better solution is to use platform ladders because it gives you space to walk along the platform and trim say a hedge before needing it to be moved.
Pol pruners are good for stems up to 35-40 mm in diameter.

For bigger stems thant 40 mm in diameter, you should be using a pruner with mechnical assistance.

Ratchet pruners and pole pruners with gears are the way to go.

Here are some things that you don't want when you’re selecting high reach pruning tools or pole pruners.

•Blades on pruners that separate when you try to cut a tough branch.
•Poles that bend too much.
•Telescopic poles that start to twist around each other as the friction lock wears out.
•Also, ropes on the outside of the pole are more likely to get tangled in small branches than chains.
Chains inside the pole are better; they will never get tangled up.I
If you have any questions about high reach pruning why not email us realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR PO Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675

VEGETABLE HEROES

Jerusalem Artichokes.  Helianthus tuberosus.

There are other names for this vegetable, such as earth apple and sunchoke but here in Australia, we just call the Jerusalem artichokes as far as I can tell.

From the scientific name, would you’ve guessed that the sunflower, Helianthus annuus is in the same family.

It’s not only in the same family but a large part of the fun of growing this veggie is that it also grows sunflowers.

Here’s another surprise, this veggie originates in America and Canada.

That’s right, Jerusalem artichokes are native to North America, growing in the wild along the eastern seaboard from Georgia to Nova Scotia.

Did you know that the Jerusalem artichoke was titled 'best soup vegetable' in the 2002 Nice Festival for the Heritage of the French Cuisine?

So what do they look like when they’re growing? 
As with potatoes, the top part of the plant looks nothing like what you get underneath the ground.
The top part of the plant grows like a bushy sunflower plant. 

The gnarly tubers would remind you of ginger roots if you saw them.

Why grow them?

Because they’re going to surprise you how delicious they are.
They have a sweetness about them and they’re not starchy.
That’s because they don’t contain starch but the carbohydrate inulin which is component of the fructose molecule.
In fact, Tubers stored for any length of time will convert their inulin into its component fructose.
That explains why Jerusalem artichokes have an delicious sweet taste. 

Fructose by the way is about one and a half times sweeter than sucrose.
Definitely one for the sweet of tooth.

When and how do you grow Jerusalem artichokes?

• In temperate climates plant the tubers between September to December –because the best time is when the soil temperature is between 8°C and 15°C 
• For cool temperate districts buy the tubers now and plant them in November and December, 
• In sub-Tropical climes, they’re best planted in Autumn-winter. You can plant them in tropical climates but they’re likely to rot off during the wet season. 
• Lastly for arid districts you can grow them from April until October. 

Jerusalem artichoke will be ready to dig up in around 4-5 months.

Tubers, or chunks of tubers can be planted in full sun or in part shade.
The sunflowers will make their first appearance in late spring or early summer and look like little baby sunflowers.

For great tasting Jerusalem artichokes add some organic fertiliser during planting otherwise they’ll taste quite bland.
That being said, the plants themselves are not picky and will grow in just about any soil.
If you are going to grow Jerusalem Artichokes or sunchokes, make sure dig them up every year to prevent them from going taking over the garden. Otherwise confine them somehow with a border stop.

Roots can be dug in the autumn after the plant dies back.
Re-plant the tubers you don’t eat or at least save some to replant.

Once you taste them you’ll be tempted to eat them all.
As mentioned before, these tubers as with other members of the Daisy or Asteraceae (including the artichoke), store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch.

Warning: Some people have no problem digesting them but they are a minority.
Over 50 percent of their carbohydrate is in forms we don’t have enzymes to break down

Store them in a cool place that isn't too dry.
Wrapped in plastic in the fridge will do nicely.

TIP: They’ll get bitter if kept too long in storage so that’s why it’s best to leave them in the ground and dig them up as you need them.
You can continue digging them up from autumn right through to early spring in temperate districts anyway.

If you’re put off with the wind theory, let me tell you it’s a bit overstated.
But just in case you’re worried here are some steps that are supposed to alleviate the problem.
Windy Problem?
Put the tubers in the fridge for a month, then slice and boil in lots of water for 15 minutes, adding one tablespoon of lemon juice per 1 litre after 10 minutes, or right at the start if you want crisp tubers. Drain, slip off peel, and pat dry. Then use them as you would in recipes with pumpkins.

Actually the best way to eat them is to roast them in the oven with some olive oil for 40 minutes. Just yummy.

Why Is It Good For You?
Nutritionally, Jerusalem artichokes has very high potassium.
In fact jerusalem artichokes have six times the potassium of a banana.
They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the US RDA of fibre, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.
For a half cup serve of Jerusalem artichokes you only get a tiny 57 calories, along with some1.5. gr. protein, 1.2 gr. fibre, 10.5 mg. calcium.
So if you like sunflowers, why not have an edible crop as well?

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Mass Planting for a Tropical Garden part 1

Tropical gardens have a different regime of wet and dry compared to other climate zones in Australia.
The advantage is plants grow outside as if they’re in some huge greenhouse with perfect temperatures and irrigation or rainfall to make them grow like blazes.
But is the planting really all that different in tropical climates, and can we gardeners further south still grow these plants?

Let’s find out about in part 1 of mass planting in the tropics.

I'm talking with was Peter Nixon, landscape designer and Director of Paradisus garden design.


Peter mentioned the following plants:

Ground cover -  Canavalia rosea 

Tall Groundcovers:

Peperomia argyreia - Watermelon Peperomia  

Stroemanthe sanguinea tricolor

Sub-shrubs-
Hedichium arundelliana - Wavy Leaf Native Ginger

Costus woodsonii ‘French Kiss’

If you have any questions about mass planting with a tropical them why not email

realworldgardener@gmail.com

TALKING FLOWERS

Dutch Iris

Dutch Iris-not an iris at all.

One of the world’s most popular florist flowers because of its dramatic flowers with long straight stems that are easy to arrange and last a long time in bouquets.

Dutch iris, also known as Iris hollandica, which has orchid-like flowers with silky petals.
Flower colors range from pale blue and lemon through deep purple, bronze, rose and gold.
Did you know that the Dutch Iris never grew wild in the Netherlands?
Instead, it’s been refined over many years through hybridisation by Dutch growers.
Dutch iris are popular cut flowers because they are dramatic, easy to arrange and long-lasting. Unlike other types of iris that grow from thickened roots called rhizomes, Dutch iris grow from teardrop-shaped bulbs that are planted in the Autumn.

The iris's mythology dates back to Ancient Greece, when the goddess Iris, who personified the rainbow (the Greek word for iris), acted as the link between heaven and earth.

It's said that purple irises were planted over the graves of women to summon the goddess Iris to guide them in their journey to heaven.

Irises became linked to the French monarchy during the Middle Ages, eventually being recognized as their national symbol, the fleur-de-lis.I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini of Flowers with Mercedes.

Dutch Iris like rich, well-drained soil is important and, while it is quite acceptable to leave the bulbs in the ground, there is a risk of disease.
Mine have never come up the following year.
Facebook live during the Real World Gardener radio broadcast.

Petals in the Edible Garden

 REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au and Across Australia on the Community Radio Network. www.realworldgardener.com
REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK
The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

PLANT DOCTOR

Petal Blight on Azalea "Jennifer Susan"

 with general manager of www.ecoorganicgarden.com.au Steve Falcioni
Petal Blight.
Do you ever find it’s sometimes difficult to tell the difference between a fungal disease and insect damage?
Like what causes some leaves to distort and curl  either on roses, citrus and edible crops like capsicums.

But there’s no mistaking what’s behind this next problem because of the tell-tale signs on the flowers.

Let’s find out what can be done about this problem.

 

 

Petals turn mushy before becoming papery and clinging to the bush

Don't let the flowers that have dropped from your camellia just lay there or the ones the cling to your azalea bushes in a brown mushy clum stay stuck to the bush. Pick them up or pick them off. Azaleas and Camellias especially are prone to the fungal disease petal blight.

By cleaning up around the plant you can prevent the spread of the disease.

If you have any questions or photos petal blight, drop us a line to realworldgardener@gmail.com or write in to 2RRR P.O. Box 644 Gladesville NSW 1675.

 

VEGETABLE HEROES

 

Jerusalem Artichokes.  Are Helianthus tuberosus.

There are other names for this vegetable, such as earth apple and sunchoke but here in Australia, we just call the Jerusalem artichokes as far as I can tell.

From the scientific name, would you’ve guessed that the sunflower Helianthus annuus is in the same family.

It’s not only in the same family but a large part of the fun of growing this veggie is the sunflowers it produces.

 Here’s another surprise, this veggie originates in America and Canada.

That’s right, Jerusalem artichokes are native to North America, having grow in the wild along the eastern seaboard from Georgia to Nova Scotia.

There is a theory that when Jerusalem artichokes arrived in Italy sometime before 1633, the Italian word for sunflower, "girasole" which means "turning to the sun," was somehow later corrupted into the word "Jerusalem."

Did you know that the Jerusalem artichoke was titled 'best soup vegetable' in the 2002 Nice Festival for the Heritage of the French Cuisine?

So what do they look like when they’re growing?

As with potatoes, the top part of the plant bears no resemblance to what you get underneath the ground.

The top part of the plant grows like a bushy sunflower plant.

Jerusalem artichokes

The gnarly tubers would remind you of ginger roots if you saw them.

Why grow them?

Because they’re going to surprise you how delicious they are.

They have a sweetness about them and they’re not starchy. That’s because they don’t contain starch but the carbohydrate inulin which is component of the fructose molecule.

In fact, Tubers stored for any length of time will convert their inulin into its component fructose. That explains why Jerusalem artichokes have an delicious sweet taste. Fructose by the way is about one and a half times sweeter than sucrose.

Definitely one for the sweet of tooth.

When and how do you grow Jerusalem artichokes?

In temperate climates plant the tubers between September to December –because the best time is when the soil temperature is between 8°C and 15°C

For cool temperate districts buy the tubers now and plant them in November and December,

In sub-Tropical climes, they’re best planted in Autumn-winter. You can plant them in tropical climates but they’re likely to rot off during the wet season.

Lastly for arid districts you can grow them from April until October.

Jerusalem Artichokes grow more quickly than the Chinese, unrelated artichokes taking 15-20 weeks to be ready.

 That’s around 4-5 months.

As I mentioned the edible tubers are gnarly and uneven, vaguely resembling ginger root, with a crisp texture when raw.

Tubers, or chunks of tubers can be planted in full sun or in part shade.

 In a row or higgledy piggledy.

The ones in part shade will have flowers that are a lot shorter than the ones in the sun, but they’ll be taller than you and you’ll probably have to stand on tiptoe to reach the flowers in the part sun plants.

The sunflowers will make their first appearance in late spring or early summer and look like little baby sunflowers.

For great tasting Jerusalem artichokes add some organic fertiliser during planting otherwise they’ll taste quite bland.

That being said, the plants themselves are not picky and will grow in just about any soil.

If you are going to grow Jerusalem Artichokes or sunchokes, make sure dig them up every year to prevent them from going taking over the garden. Otherwise confine them somehow with a border stop.

Roots can be dug in the autumn after the plant dies back.

Re-plant the tubers you don’t eat or at least save some to replant.

Once you taste them you’ll be tempted to eat them all.

As mentioned before, these tubers as with other members of the Daisy or Asteraceae (including the artichoke), store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch.

Warning: Some people have no problem digesting them but they are a minority.

Over 50 percent of their carbohydrate is in forms we don’t have enzymes to break down

Some people say that wind will be with you as long as they are eaten. If you have a family they may threaten to leave home if you ever eat them again.

How about buying some and trying them out before you commit to a lifetime of long solitary walks in the countryside after meals?

Store them in a cool place that isn't too dry.

Wrapped in plastic in the fridge will do nicely.

TIP: They’ll get bitter if kept too long in storage so that’s why it’s best to leave them in the ground and dig them up as you need them.

You can continue digging them up from autumn right through to early spring in temperate districts anyway.

If you’re put off with the wind theory, let me tell you it’s a bit overstated. But just in case you’re worried here are some steps that are supposed to alleviate the problem.

Put the tubers in the fridge for a month, then slice and boil in lots of water for 15 minutes, adding one tablespoon of lemon juice per 1 litre after 10 minutes, or right at the start if you want crisp tubers. Drain, slip off peel, and pat dry. Then use them as you would in recipes with pumpkins.

Actually the best way to eat them is to roast them in the oven with some olive oil for 40 minutes. Just yummy.

Why Is It Good For You?

Nutritionally, the sunchoke's has very high potassium. It has six times the potassium of a banana.

They are also high in iron, and contain 10-12% of the recommended daily intake of fibre, niacin, thiamine, phosphorus and copper.

For a half cup serve of Jerusalem artichokes you only get a tiny 57 calories, along with some1.5. gr. protein, 1.2 gram. fibre, 10.5 mg. calcium.

So if you like sunflowers, why not have an edible crop as well?

AND THAT WAS YOUR VEGETABLE HERO SEGMENT FOR TODAY

DESIGN ELEMENTS

Spring Pruning with landscape designer Jason Cornish



Buxus hedge

It seems like every time the weather warms up, gardeners and non-gardeners start jumping around the garden and pruning everything in sight willy nilly.
What’s going on with that?
Sure some of the garden needs to be pruned but are you sure you’re pruning the right shrub the right way at the right time of year?
Not all plants do well with a top and tail or short back and sides.
Pruning a buxus hedge is pretty straightforward and yes, this one's definitely one for the short back and sides, or clipping to any shape you like.

On the other hand, have you even got a tree, or shrub that you said’ never seen that ever flower?

Well there may be a good reason for that and it’s got nothing to do with soil, fertilising or watering.
Knowing what plant you've got can be tricky if you've moved into a home with an established garden.
The best thing is to find out what through your local garden centre or nursery.
Second to that, find out when it's flowering season is and commence pruning after that.
Sounds logical but sometimes gets overlooked in the rush to tidy up the garden for Spring.


Let’s find out about spring pruning


Unlike Europe where you see Spiraea or May bushes growing everywhere by the roadside, maybe here in Australia we’re not growing too many May bushes anymore.

I could be wrong, and it would be a pity if it were true, because they have lovely flowers.

But short back and sides for this type of plant isn’t the right way to prune it.

Spiraeas, are a vase shaped plant that needs old canes pruned back to the ground to allow new canes to push through. these can ne headed by a 10% after flowering finishes in Spring.
If you missed the details email or write in and I send you a fact sheet

 

PLANT OF THE WEEK

Hardenbergia violaceae, Native Sarsparilla
First of all, sarsaparilla, the drink featured in Western movies, was made from the roots of plants in the Genus Smilax.  Sarsparilla-the real thing that is, is also considered a medicinal plant with many different uses like flavouring root beer. Smilax spp. Are native to Central and South America and don’t have any real connection with our Australian native,
.

Hardenbergia violacea is usually a climbing plant whose branches twist around the stems of other plants. It is moderately vigorous but rarely covers other plants so extensively as to cause damage. Shrubby forms are available without any climbing tendency such as Hardenbergia volaceae "Flat White" and "Carpet Royale."

The leaves are dark, glossy green with prominent veins and are 75-100 mm in length.

The flowers, show up in late winter and spring, are usually violet in colour but pink, white and other colours are sometimes found. The flowers are the typical "pea" shape. 
The tough leaves can be narrow-oblong to almost heart shaped.
Did you know that apparently the leaves can be boiled to make a slightly sweet tea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bursting with Plant Life

REAL WORLD GARDENER Wed. 5pm 2RRR 88.5fm Sydney, streaming live at www.2rrr.org.au and Across Australia on the Community Radio Network. www.realworldgardener.com
Real World Gardener is funded by the Community Broadcasting Foundation
REALWORLD GARDENER NOW ON FACEBOOK
The complete CRN edition of RWG is available on http://www.cpod.org.au/ , just click on 2RRR to find this week’s edition. The new theme is sung by Harry Hughes from his album Songs of the Garden. You can hear samples of the album from the website www.songsofthegarden.com

PLANT DOCTOR

with Steve Falcioni, of eco Organic Garden,

This new segment-Plant Doctor, looks at different pests and diseases that can occur in your garden.
Do you find that no matter how carefully you look after your garden, there are plants that seem to get everything wrong with them?
Then you’re left wondering, is it me? Is it the wrong climate? Should I spray with something? Should I forget about this plant?
Well today’s look at what can go wrong is about a fungal problem that seems to hang around during the warmer months.
Listen to this…..
Fungal diseases are caused by microscopic spores that float through the air landing on just about everything in your garden.
As soon as the spores find the right environment, the fungus starts to grow.

Doing nothing only increases the problem and eventually reduces the life of the plant. But there are environmentally friendly or organic ways to treat problems.

One of the best ways to treat powdery mildew is to use Potassium bicarbonate, available as eco Fungicide and eco Carb for roses. This is best applied with a sticker of horticultural oil, so that it stays on the plant after rain. The potassium bicarbonate works so well, that it bursts the fungal cells, 5 minutes after application.

VEGETABLE HEROES

 Jerusalem Artichokes. Helianthus tuberosus.

Jerusalem artichoke in Australia and, sunchoke, girasole in Italy or Canadian potato as it’s known overseas.

From the scientific name, I know immediately that the sunflower Helianthus annuus is in the same family.
In fact, the large attraction of this vegetable is the sunflowers it produces.
Another surprise is Jerusalem artichokes are native to North America.
They grew wild along the eastern seaboard from Georgia to Nova Scotia.
There is a theory that when Jerusalem artichokes arrived in Italy sometime before 1633, the Italian word for sunflower, "girasole" which means "turning to the sun," was somehow later corrupted into the word "Jerusalem."
The artichoke part may be because they taste similar to the globe artichoke, which can’t be bad.


What do J artichokes look like?
The leaves have a rough texture and the plant looks like a shrub.

When to plant?
Jerusalam artichokes like to be planted when the soil temperature is between 8°C and 15°C,
In all areas of Australia, the best times are Autumn, Winter and Spring.
You can plant them in tropical climates but they’re likely to rot off during the wet season.
J. Artichokes grow more quickly than the Chinese, unrelated artichokes taking 15-20 weeks to be ready. That’s around 4-5 months.
J artichokes are usually grown from tubers rather than seed.
The tubers are gnarly and uneven, vaguely resembling ginger root, with a crisp texture when raw.
Tubers, or chunks of tubers can be planted in a row or higgledy piggledy.

Tubers of J artichokes have eyes, just like normal potatoes, and the best ones to plant are the large round ones, not the small knobbly ones.
Being a member of the daisy flower family, those plants that you grow in the shade will have flowers that are a lot shorter than the ones in the sun, but they’ll be still be taller than you and you’ll probably have to stand on tiptoe to reach the flowers in the part sun plants.

Staking the plants is a good idea or maybe attaching them to a trellis.
They can also be grown in pots for courtyard and balcony gardeners.

The sunflowers will make their first appearance in late spring or early summer and look like little baby sunflowers.
Cut them off if you want larger tubers, but if you like the look of the sunflowers and don’t mind smaller tubers, leave them on.
TIP: Unless you want bland tasting artichokes you need to add some organic fertiliser.
On the plus side, the plants aren’t picky and will grow in just about any soil.
Another TIP: If you are going to grow J. Artichokes or sunchokes, make sure to harvest them every year to prevent them from going taking over the garden. Otherwise confine  them somehow with a border stop.
Unlike most tubers, but in common with other members of the Daisy or Asteraceae (including the artichoke), the tubers store the carbohydrate inulin (not to be confused with insulin) instead of starch.

Warning: Some people have no problem digesting them but they are a minority. Over 50 percent of their carbohydrate is in forms we don’t have enzymes to break down

It’s been said that wind will be with you as long as you eat J artichokes.. If you have a family they may threaten to leave home if you ever eat them again.

How about buying some and trying them out before you commit to a lifetime of long solitary walks in the countryside after meals?
Roots can be dug after the plant dies back or 5-6 months after planting.
If your tubers start appearing above the soil, hill them up with more soil or mulch to stop them going poisonous and green.
STORING Jerusalem Arthichokes
Store them in a cool place that isn't too dry. Wrapped in plastic in the fridge will do nicely.
They will get bitter if kept too long in storage. It‘s best to leave them in the ground and dig them up as you need them. You can continue digging them right into early spring.
BTW. inulin can’t be broken down by the human digestive system.
Here are some steps that are supposed to alleviate the problem.
Put the tubers in the fridge for a month, then slice and boil in lots of water for 15 minutes, adding one tablespoon of lemon juice per 1 litre after 10 minutes, or right at the start if you want crisp tubers. Drain, slip off peel, and pat dry. Then use them as you would in recipes with pumpkins.

Why Are They Good For You?

Did you know that nutritionally, the J artichokes or sunchoke's have very high potassium- six times the potassium of a banana?
There is 327 mg. of potassium for a half-cup serving.
That same half-cup serving has 57 calories, 1.5. gr. protein, 1.2 gr. fibre, 10.5 mg. calcium, 10 mcg. folacin along with smaller amounts of niacin and thiamine.
So if you like sunflowers, why not have an edible crop as well? Like all Helianthus flowers, this makes suitable offerings for Helios, the Roman Apollo, Ra and other sun Gods.

 DESIGN ELEMENTS

with landscape designer Louise McDaid
Continuing on the series in drought proofing your garden, you’ll find out why some plants are more hardy than others.
It’s not so much which plant breeder did or didn’t do, but more about particular plant adaptations that make some plants better at coping with lack of water than others.
Let’s find out what this is all about.
PLAY: Dry_Gardens_part2_9th April_2014
Needle like leaves, grey leaves, leaves with hairs on them and hard leaves are all adaptations to dry conditions.
In fact, Australian plants have the most obvious adaptations to dry conditions.
Sclerophyll means hard leaf, and the Sclerophyll forests of Australia are plants that have adapted to the harsher conditions of the last few thousand years. 

Grey leaves reflecting the sun's rays, and leaves that hang down with their edge to the sun, as in Eucalypts, are a prime example.




The needle like leaves of many Banksias are exposing a  reduced surface area to the sun. Also the reduced leaf has few stomata, meaning fewer avenues for water to escape in transpiration.
You don’t have to just plant cactus and succulents. There are many natives and non native plants that fit this description.
Now you have the tools to look at plants in the nursery and decide yourself if they’ll grow in dry conditions.

PLANT OF THE WEEK

BLUE QUANDONG Eleaocarpus grandis
Some plants you just can’t have in your garden because they’re just too big.
Doesn’t mean you can’t know about them or appreciate them if you see them in a park, large property, reserve or botanic garden.
Here’s one such plant..

Blue quandongs are a stately, very straight trunked tree which develops a buttressed trunk from an early age.
They’re quick growing but grow very tall.

Fast growing large tree to 35m with buttressed trunk.

Buttresses starts to show on even young trees and the branches layered with a sparse crown

 Blue Quandong grows naturallin in sub-tropical rainforest and along moist, scrubby watercourses. An endemic Australian species, occurring along the east coast from Nambucca R. NSW to Cooktown, N Qld, and also NT. Rainforest, deep alluvial soils. well-drained volcanics.

Like all Elaeocarpus the flowers reminds some of lilly of the valley or a bunch of snowdrops but hanging down.

Flowers greenish/white/cream, bell-shaped, with five  distinctly fringed petals; that are carried in numerous racemes along branches, from leaf scars.

Rain permitting, the flowering time is between March to June.

Fruit a bright blue, ovoid drupe that’s a favourite of figbirds, spectacled flying foxes and cassowaries.

But it’s not just a mid blue, it’s an iridescent blue. The iridescence is unusual in fruits but seen quite a lot in nature.

 

Botanist David Lee uncovered the source of the blue colour — it is not a pigment, as is the case with many other fruit, but this effect is caused by a series of very thin even microscopic layers within the skin of the quandong.

These multi-layers create a type of interference with the light rays, as you might see from a bird with  iridescent blue feathers, some insects, and in butterfly wings

The colours seem to change depending on what angle you’re looking form.
Not quite so dramatic on the quandong fruit, but still iridescent.