Author Topic: Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash  (Read 1047 times)

Mike T

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Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash
« on: September 13, 2021, 04:56:28 AM »
It seems to me there are many fascinating Syzygiums in Australia and New Guinea that get no attention due to their rarity and also as they have not been brought into cultivation. The Lilly Pillies of Australia that are in cultivation are perhaps not the finest ambassadors of their genus. I think of S.cormiflorum, S.wilsoni and S. fibrosum having strong but different claims to fame in my local area. If we go rarer and more restricted what about about S.erythrocalyx?
In my wanderings today I stumbled across one and thought wow.


Do the flowers make the grade? You bet they do


Is the tree small and attractive. Heck yeah


Are the fruit in that handsome paw big and edible? They sure are and some fruit were quirte pleasant and others a little sour. Stay tuned for whats inside the fruit.

Mike T

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Re: Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2021, 05:06:04 AM »


They have red flesh and a little white around the seed. This smaller 100g one is not a good example as they usually have more flesh and less seeds. Some fruit are around 220g (half a pound) on this tree.

cassowary

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Re: Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2021, 11:51:28 PM »
The s. ery. looks beautiful and I think I have tried something like it a bit further north of cairns but the tree was a lot bigger growing in the forest. Have some which I think is daintree satinash (Syzygium monospermum or Syzygium cormiflorum). they are quite dry and not so sweet from what I can remember two years ago ( have to try again), pretty much biannual bearing on the tree we have I would say but when it goes for it it's adundant!
Have a small s. fibrosum, no fruit yet but excited to try it :D

There is also two other that I have found that are sour but good that I haven't id yet so there is huge potential for this genus.
Can try and find some images and upload.
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W.

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Re: Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2021, 12:06:32 AM »
Very interesting. It looks like something which would make a good container plant, although the Useful Tropical Plants site (http://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Syzygium+erythrocalyx) says that it can get up to 8 meters tall and is "[a] very demanding plant to grow." A cursory search online did not indicate that anyone outside of Australia is growing this Syzygium species. I did read an article which matches up with the "very demanding plant to grow" reputation as a grower in Cairns finally got his to flower, after twenty years and two different moves as its first two locations were either too sunny or too shady.

cassowary

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Re: Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash
« Reply #4 on: November 14, 2021, 01:50:21 PM »
s. eryt. probobly needs lots of water since it's a river plant.
Our s. maleccanse's leafs some years get burnt by the sun in the dry, even though they are about 40 years old.
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Mike T

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Re: Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2021, 03:14:06 PM »
Fibrosum often has fruit floating in creeks in the Daintree area where it grows streamside, Cormiflorum is terrible to eat by the way. This species grows easily and fruits in around 4 years. Full sun or full shade is fine. What an attractive small tree it is.

cassowary

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Re: Syzygium erythrocalyx Johnstone River Satinash
« Reply #6 on: November 23, 2021, 01:46:51 AM »
yes cormiflorum is not very tasy.
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