Winter Apple (Myoporum debile)
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Perennial (hardy)
- Exposure
- Full sun
- Frost limit
- −6.7 °C
Cultivation
Easily grown in most soils. This species is not very hardy in mainland Britain, it succeeds outdoors on the Scilly Isles.
Propagation
Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Consider giving the plants some protection from the cold for their first few winters outdoors. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 5 - 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Pot up in the autumn. Good percentage.
Edible uses
Fruit - raw or cooked.
Medicinal uses
Used in the treatment of V.D. by the Australian Aborigines.
Habitat
Open forests, grassland and dry areas in Australia.
Native range
Australia and New Zealand.