Hard Quandong Tree

Hard Quandong (Elaeocarpus obovatus) is an Australian rainforest tree that settles at about 10m tall and 5m wide in a suburban garden, with a dense evergreen canopy and a clean straight trunk. Small fringed cream and white flowers open in spring, followed by blue fruit that brings in figbirds, currawongs and fruit doves. If you want real shade and a tall screen from a native tree that behaves itself, start here.

Why you'll love it

• Proper shade at a workable size. In rainforest it can exceed 25m, but in an open garden it reaches 10m to 12m with a 5m canopy.
• Evergreen all year. The canopy is dense and does not thin in winter, so the screening and the shade are there in July as well as January.
• It feeds native birds. Fringed cream flowers bring in bees and butterflies, and the blue fruit that follows is popular with fruit eating birds.
• Handles wind and wet ground. Wind tolerant and tolerant of wet feet, one of the better natives for a low lying or exposed block.

Where it works best

Shade tree. A single specimen on a lawn or over a seating area gives dense canopy shade within five to seven years from an advanced plant. Allow 5m of clearance from the house.

Tall screening. Plant 4m apart for a tall screening row. The canopies knit into a solid green wall well above fence height, which is what you need when the problem is a two storey neighbour.

Windbreaks. A staggered double row at 4m spacing filters wind rather than blocking it, which is what an exposed boundary needs.

Growing Hard Quandong in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens: broadly the eastern seaboard from far north Queensland into coastal Victoria. It takes light frost only, so frosting tablelands, cold inland districts and arid gardens are outside its range.

Soil. It prefers deep moist soil with organic matter, and unlike most trees this size it tolerates wet ground, so a damp low corner suits it. Backfill with the native soil rather than pure compost, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, because a tree this size takes time to root down. Feed a controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and late summer.

Pruning. Very little is required. Remove the lowest branches progressively for a clear trunk, and take out competing leaders early.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown right across the range, from tube stock through 200mm packs of six and 300mm pots up to 45L, 100L, 200L and 400L specimens. Tubes and 200mm plants are young single stemmed trees, often under knee height, the value option if you can wait three to four years. From 45L up you buy a tree with real height on day one.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, minimum order $300 before delivery, and advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect some leaf drop after transit, normal for a rainforest species, then new growth within six weeks in warm weather, under our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Care guide for the closely related Eumundi quandong
• Compare the full Australian native tree range
• See other plants suited to windbreaks
• The best canopy trees for shade

Common questions

How big does it really get in a garden?

Around 10m tall and 5m across in open cultivation, sometimes 12m on a good site. The 25m figure applies to mature rainforest, where trees are drawn up competing for light.

How far apart for a screen?

Four metres apart in a single row. That gives each tree room for its 5m canopy while still closing the gaps overhead, and it avoids the thin drawn trunks that come from crowding.

Are the roots a problem near paving?

It is not an aggressive rooted species, but any tree reaching 10m deserves clearance. Keep it 4m to 5m from footings, paths and services.