Syzygium smithii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Syzygium smithii |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Syzygium |
| Species: |
S. smithii
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| Binomial name | |
| Syzygium smithii (Poir.) Nied.
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| Synonyms | |
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Eugenia smithii Poir. |
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The Syzygium smithii (say "Siz-ZID-jee-um SMITH-ee-eye"), also known as the Lilly Pilly, is a beautiful evergreen tree from Australia. It belongs to the myrtle family, called Myrtaceae. This plant is special because it flowers in summer and grows tasty berries in winter!
People often plant Lilly Pillies as shrubs or hedges in gardens. They have rough, woody bark and smooth, waxy leaves that are cream and green. When new leaves grow, they often have a lovely pink color. The plant also produces white to maroon berries that you can eat. If you let it grow freely without trimming, it can reach about 3 to 5 meters (10 to 16 feet) tall in a garden.
Contents
Discover the Lilly Pilly Tree
What's in a Name?
The scientific name Syzygium smithii has an interesting history! It was first described way back in 1789 by a French botanist named Jean Louis Marie Poiret. He called it Eugenia smithii. The "smithii" part honors James Edward Smith, another botanist who had studied it earlier.
Later, in 1893, a German botanist named Franz Josef Niedenzu reclassified it into the genus Syzygium. This is how it got its current scientific name. Since 2009, plant experts in Australia have officially recognized this name.
This tree has many common names too! People call it Lilly Pilly, Chinese Apple, coast satinash, and Eungella gum. Aboriginal Australians in the Illawarra region called it Tdgerail, and others in Queensland knew it as Coochin-coochin.
Meet the Lilly Pilly: Description
The Syzygium smithii can grow into a tall tree, sometimes reaching up to 20 meters (65 feet) high and 5 to 15 meters (16 to 49 feet) wide. Its trunk can become quite thick, up to 70 centimeters (2.3 feet) across. The tallest one ever recorded was about 30 meters (98 feet) tall!
The bark of the tree is brown and scaly, and it flakes off easily. Its shiny, dark green leaves grow in pairs on the stems. They are shaped like a spear or an oval and are usually 2 to 10 centimeters (0.8 to 3.9 inches) long.
Leaves, Flowers, and Berries
Beautiful cream-white flowers bloom on the Lilly Pilly from October to March. They grow in clusters at the ends of small branches. After the flowers, the plant produces its berries, which appear from May to August. These berries are oval or round with a small dip at the top. They are about 0.8 to 2 centimeters (0.3 to 0.8 inches) wide and can be white, pink, or even maroon.
There are also some special types of Lilly Pilly. One has narrow leaves, about 3 to 6 centimeters long, and grows near rainforest rivers. Another type has smaller leaves, 1.6 to 6 centimeters long, and is found in drier rainforests.
Where Does it Grow?
The Syzygium smithii is native to the eastern coast of Australia. You can find it growing in rainforests from the Windsor Tablelands in north-east Queensland, all the way south through New South Wales and Victoria, down to Wilsons Promontory.
It often grows alongside other interesting trees like the bangalow palm, ironwood, black wattle, sassafras, blueberry ash, and sweet pittosporum. In coastal areas, you might see smaller Lilly Pillies growing with coast banksia plants.
Who Visits the Lilly Pilly?
Many Australian animals love the Lilly Pilly! Birds like the Australian king parrot, crimson rosella, rose-crowned fruit-dove, superb fruit-dove, topknot pigeon, white-headed pigeon, wonga pigeon, satin bowerbird, and pied currawong all enjoy eating its berries. Mammals like brushtail possums and flying foxes also feast on the fruit. Ringtail possums even munch on the fresh leaves! In New Zealand, wood pigeons (called kererū) eat the fruit and help spread the seeds.
Some tiny moth larvae also use the Lilly Pilly for food. For example, the larvae of the moth species Pectinivalva acmenae feed on its leaves. Other moth larvae, like Agriophara horrida, Cryptophasa pultenae, and Macarostola formosa, also enjoy the leaves.
In New Zealand, where it's sometimes called "monkey apple," the Lilly Pilly has started to grow wild in forests and scrublands. It's considered an "unwanted organism" there because it can grow faster and taller than some native trees, taking over their space. This is an example of an invasive species.
Growing Lilly Pilly Plants
People have been growing Syzygium smithii in gardens for a very long time. It was first brought into gardens in 1790 at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew.
Today, the Lilly Pilly is a popular plant for gardens. It can be grown as a beautiful tree or trimmed into hedges. It's even used for bonsai, which is the art of growing miniature trees.
One great thing about Syzygium smithii is that it's quite tough. It can handle both bright sunshine and shady spots. Once it's established, it can also survive dry periods and even some light frost. It's also known to be more resistant to tiny insect pests called psyllids compared to other similar plants.
Did you know it's also considered a fire-retardant species? This means it can help slow down fires, which is a useful quality in some areas.
Special Lilly Pilly Varieties
Gardeners have developed several special types, or cultivars, of Lilly Pilly, each with unique features:
- Allyn Magic: This is a small, compact version with new leaves that are a lovely grey-orange color.
- Elizabeth Isaacs (also known as 'Variegata'): This one is a bit smaller and has new leaves that are a mix of pink, green, and cream.
- Firescreen: This variety grows quickly and has broad, glossy leaves that start copper-red and turn green. It's great for hedges over 1.2 meters (4 feet) tall. It's tough and can handle sun, shade, wind, heat, and cold. It's also resistant to psyllids and borers.
- Hedgemaster: A compact, bushy shrub that grows about 1 meter (3 feet) tall. It's perfect for formal hedges or topiary (shaping plants into fun forms).
- Red Head: This is a compact tree form with glossy, burgundy-red new leaves that mature to a very dark green. It's good for urban areas and can be shaped. Like 'Firescreen', it's tough and resistant to pests.
