White or Pink? How do you like your Blueberry Ash? or covered in blue berries

Elaeocarpus reticulatus is one of the Spring flowering native tree species which really knocks itself out during its flowering season. It consistently covers itself in the little white fairy skirt like flowers to the point that it gives the whole tree a light hue. The other time of year this species looks incredible is when it is in fruit, this usually happens between April and November but can really happen any time of year.

In the image above you can see the showy berries weighing down a mature Elaeocarpus reticulatus, so stunning.

There are two flower colours in the Blueberry Ash and as the popularity of the pink form, largely ‘Prima Donna’, has boomed the white form seems to be coming less and less available. It is however the white which is my favourite 💚

There is something pure and crisp about the little white fringed flowers, they contrast beautifully with the deep green leaves. I did believe for some time that the white was the naturally occurring colour and the pink had been somehow bred, then I saw the pink growing naturally in the bush down in the south coast and realised it is a natural variation.

Blueberry Ash is a rainforest tree and therefore prefers a moist, well drained, fairly fertile soil in a semi shade position. It will grow in full sun if provided with plenty of moisture and protected from drying winds.

The dainty flowers are followed by blue berries which are extremely attractive to the Satin Bower Bird and other fruit or berry eating birds.

The blue berries give it the first part of its common name, the last part of Ash is because the leaves have a white, waxy edge to them which from a distance looks a little like they are smudged with ash.

Elaeocarpus reticulatus makes a great street tree, screening tree or if pruned a good hedge. It has a narrow dense habit and responds well to pruning.

If left to grow to its full size it will reach around 8 metres high x 4 metres wide in a garden setting. In the image above you can see a mature pink form in someones garden.

Regardless of the flower colour this really is an excellent native tree for medium to large gardens, it is also now available in a dwarf form called ‘Green Dream’ so has been adapted for smaller gardens or as an easier to manage hedge. Obviously as with any plant tag take the mature height with a pinch of salt, I would be interested to hear from anyone how much over 3 metres this dwarf variety grows 😉

If you can’t decide on a colour why not plant one of each next to each other as had been done in the garden where I took these photos! We all need more trees please!

Posted

05/12/2024

Bird attracting, Hedge, Illawarra natives, Medium Tree, Screening plants, Shade tolerant

Kath Gadd

Tags:

bee attracting, bird-attracting, clay soils, Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Indigenous to the Illawarra, moist soil, part shade, pink flowers, protected position, rainforest species, Satin Bowerbird, spring flowering, white flower

Comments

6 responses to “White or Pink? How do you like your Blueberry Ash? or covered in blue berries”

Lyn

15/10/2022

Planted our Green Dream in July 2019 Sth East Qld. Yes, stated 3 metres in height.
It is now 4 metres and should flower this year. Absolutely love it

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  21/10/2022
  
  Hi Lyn,
  
  That is good feedback on the real height of ‘Green Dream’! It must be very happy 😉
  thanks,
  
  Kath
  
  Reply
Judy

18/11/2023

Love to know where to buy a white flowering blueberry ash that grows to 6 metres tall. I can find the pink flowering one, but not the white one

Reply
1. Kath Gadd
  
  28/11/2023
  
  Hi Judy,
  If you try Sydney Wildflower nursery.
  You can order either the reticulatus or the green dream
  Kind Regards,
  Kath
  
  Reply
Maree Davison

05/12/2024

I planted Green Dream in spring, can’t wait for it to grow up. It has already flowered with such beautiful delicate flowers.

Reply
JACINTA MARTIN

16/12/2024

Hi Lyn,
i regularly look at your site. i think and design along the same lines as you. so Thank you.

we live 30 mins past the ranges, northwest of wagga wagga. we get the hot hot summer and south westerly killer wind: we are also not far from the Snowys so we also get the winter frosts. usually around -3 to -1. sometimes -4. which is a killer frost. established trees here are Brachychiton, claret ash, Gleditsia, maple, pin oak, fruit citrus and nut trees, plum and apricot, apples, quince. mature lemon scented gums and grey box and yellow box. massive stone pine and another pine down drive i cannot ID. and white cedar. my yard is 3 acres. Weve created various microclimates. we love the shade of our claret ash the most.
MY MOTTO IS HUNDRED DOLLAR HOLE FOR A 1 DOLLAR PLANT AND A DRIPPER. OR IT DOESNT GET PLANTED. MUST BE NON-SUCKERING, NON-TOXIC, NON-INVASIVE ROOTS OR SEEDS, LOW HAYFEVER, DECIDUOS OR EVER GREEN IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS AND ON THE LIST OF CLIMATE SURVIVOR TREES PUBLISHED BY DIGGERS CLUB. LOL TO BE FAIR IT’S BEEN MY MOTTO FOR ABOUT 30 YEARS AND IM 57 NOW. WE HAVE NOT LOST MANY TREES DUE TO THIS. WE HAVE LOST MOST TRESS TO THE YEARS OF TOO MUCH RAIN AND CINNAMON ROOT ROT FUNGUS….SHEESH!
i would love to start a 60-meter-long wind/fire break on my west with this blueberry ash.
I would be starting them under existing wild African olive windbreak which has been here over hundred years/ but is declared weed/ and shows that in the years of extra rain. never been a problem previously. if i can i would like a grant to remove it. it will cost thousands to do with an excavator. anyway – life on the farm hey!
the birds and bees love the olive hedge that we need to replace but 1: it needs to go and 2: i can replace with native that flowers and fruits. Winner.
the firebreak is within the yard. we have others outside in the paddock.

i thought establishing blueberry ash as the inner firebreak – under which i would like dense shade available for chooks and dogs, – and just further west of it run she oak – I’m thinking salty she oak because they cannot be too tall, better shade density and can tolerate salty bore water. the BB Ash would be on rainwater or some clean grey water from a taylex system.
i have a couple mobility issues so whatever goes in, goes in once, on a dripper, and needs to work to establish a tap root and strength and survive. i do it this way so they’re tougher. We will excavate out the olives once the Tube stock has been in a couple years. the ground will be ripped if we can get in there. if not a 600mm wide and deep auger hole. the soil here is free draining red loam. some granite and shale. some clay – also red. which i love clay – i half clay soil with coarse sand and add gypsum and compost. fantastic.

questions:
1. will the blueberry ash establish under cover from heat and frost on a dripper initially daily, then 2nd daily then weekly then fortnightly. or am i asking too much of this tree.
2. will it thrive despite frost after establishing 2 years.
3: what are your thoughts on she oak types to plant. I only want the female so will have to cut males out if they’re in the tube stock batch. i know you cannot tell until they’re older.
4. do you have suggestions if these trees not suitable. we can grow any she-oak here. I’m after the densest shade. longest lived. salt tolerant, fire retardant, yep i dont want much.
5. i intend to establish blueberry ash tall hedge east front paddock to the road …. much less hostile.

Reply