SYZYGIUM tierneyanum (River Cherry)

River Cherry (Syzygium tierneyanum) is the lilly pilly for wet ground. A northern and eastern Australian native from tropical riverbanks, it forms a dense evergreen canopy of about 8m tall and 4m wide in a garden, carries cream flowers, then edible fruit the birds work through. This one is supplied ex ground as a single advanced specimen between 6.5m and 7m.

Why you'll love it

• It thrives where other screens drown. Wet feet tolerant, so seasonally boggy ground, creek edges and heavy soils that rot most hedging suit it.
• Screening at speed. Fast growing and densely branched, it closes a boundary noticeably quicker than the slower lilly pillies.
• Edible fruit and busy birds. Cream flowers give way to edible fruit, which brings honeyeaters and fruit eating birds into the garden.
• Advanced from day one. This is a field grown tree already between 6.5m and 7m, so the height and the canopy are there on arrival.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 2m apart for a dense screen. For a single tree, allow the full 4m of width and keep it about 3m clear of the house.

Wet and low lying ground. Creek banks, drainage swales and the low corner of a block suit it, provided the soil is not permanently under water.

Shade and feature planting. The canopy is broad and branches low, so one tree shades a seating area or anchors a tropical planting scheme.

Growing River Cherry in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and takes light frost only, so cool temperate and inland frost districts are not suitable.

Soil. Genuinely adaptable, and unusually tolerant of heavy, wet ground. Enrich the backfill with compost and mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week for the first two months after planting, then weekly through the first summer. A controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and late summer keeps the growth dense.

Pruning. Tip prune from the start to thicken a screen, then trim after the spring flush. It reshoots readily from old wood, so a hedge that gets away can be cut back hard.

What to expect when it arrives

This is a single advanced ex ground tree, not a container plant. It was grown in open ground, root pruned ahead of lifting, then set into a hessian lined wire basket. Both are planted with the tree and break down in the soil, so the root ball stays intact.

A tree of this size needs machinery, clear site access and a hole prepared in advance, and we confirm access and quote transport before dispatch. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, it is delivered Australia wide, and a minimum order of $300 before delivery applies. Expect a settling season with modest growth before it takes off. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The lilly pilly care guide
• Browse the full syzygium range
• Shop ex ground trees
• Compare advanced trees for instant scale

Common questions

What does ex ground mean?

The tree was grown in a field rather than a pot, then lifted with its root ball wrapped in hessian and wire. It buys you far more tree for the money than a container of equivalent size, and it establishes well when planted promptly.

Is the fruit worth eating?

It is edible, crisp and tart, and better cooked into jam or jelly than eaten by the handful. In practice most of the crop goes to the birds, which is half the reason to plant it.

Will it cope with a wet corner of the block?

Yes, better than almost any other screening tree of this size. It tolerates seasonal waterlogging, though ground that is permanently under water will still kill it.