ELAEOCARPUS eumundi (Eumundi Quandong)

Eumundi Quandong (Elaeocarpus eumundi) is the screening tree for a boundary that needs serious height and has almost no width to give. In cultivation it holds around 10m tall and only 4m wide, with dark glossy foliage and coppery bronze new growth that flushes several times a year. This is ex ground stock, field grown and lifted to order, so you are buying a semi mature tree.

Why you'll love it

• Height without the spread. At roughly 10m by 4m it screens a two storey outlook from a narrow strip beside a fence or driveway.
• New growth that reads as colour. Each flush comes away bronze against the older dark leaves, so the tree looks two toned for much of the year.
• Australian native and bird attracting. Small cream flowers are followed by blue fruit that native birds work through.
• Suited to warm coastal blocks. Humidity tolerant, wind tolerant and salt tolerant, which covers most of the eastern seaboard.

Where it works best

Screening and privacy. Plant 3m apart for a tall dense screen. At these sizes the screen is effectively finished on planting day, which is why most people choose ex ground stock.

Driveways and avenues. Space 4m to 5m apart for a formal avenue, keeping the trunks clear of the wheel line and lifting the lower limbs for vehicle clearance.

Growing Eumundi Quandong in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It handles light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are not suitable. Coastal exposure is fine once the tree is anchored.

Soil. Being a rainforest tree it wants soil that holds moisture but still drains. Improve the bed with compost and mulch 75mm deep to the edge of the root ball, clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Water deeply and often through the first two summers, since a freshly dug tree has lost much of its feeding root. A controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer keeps the flushes coming.

Pruning. Little is needed beyond shaping. Trim the sides to tighten a screen and top the leaders at the height you want. Growth is steady rather than quick, so it holds shape between trims.

What to expect when it arrives

Ex ground trees are sold by height: 4.5m to 5m, 5m to 5.5m, 6m to 6.5m and 7.5m to 8m. They are grown in the ground, then dug, root balled and wrapped rather than potted. Some leaf drop and a thinner canopy in the first season is normal, since the tree rebuilds its roots before it pushes top growth.

The cooler months suit transplanting best, and trees need staking until the roots take hold. Stock this size needs machinery to unload and place, so check access, overhead wires and the hole before delivery day. Trees are delivered Australia wide and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, and every tree carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• The full Eumundi Quandong care guide
• How to use this tree as a tall screen
• Browse the ex ground tree range
• Compare other tall and narrow screening plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant them for a screen?

3m apart. At that spacing the canopies knit without the inner branches shading each other out, which is what leaves gaps low down.

Can I keep it shorter than 10m?

Yes. It responds well to topping and side trimming, and a screen held at 5m to 7m stays denser than one left to reach full height. Plan on a trim every year or two.

Will it grow in Melbourne or Adelaide?

Only in frost free pockets. This is a warm climate rainforest tree that takes light frost at most, so it is a poor risk in cold southern or inland gardens.