Coolamon Tree

The Coolamon Tree (Syzygium moorei) is the rainforest lilly pilly that flowers on its own trunk. Deep pink powderpuff blooms burst straight out of the bark and older branches in summer, on a tree that settles at about 8m tall and 5m wide in a garden. It is a rare northern rivers native, and few Australian trees stop visitors as reliably.

Why you'll love it

• Flowers on the trunk. Pink powderpuff clusters form on bark and old wood, a habit called cauliflory that almost nothing else in an Australian garden does.
• Dense evergreen shade. Broad glossy leaves hold a heavy canopy year round, so it shades as well as it features.
• Rare and worth growing. A restricted rainforest species from northern New South Wales and south east Queensland.
• Birds and edible fruit. Nectar feeding birds work the flowers, and the large white fruit that follows is edible.

Where it works best

Feature planting. Give a single tree an open position where the trunk is visible, since the flowers appear on wood rather than at the branch tips.

Screening and privacy. Plant 3m apart for a dense screen. At that spacing the canopies knit while each tree keeps enough light to stay furnished low down.

Shade tree. It makes a broad canopy at around 8m, and it tolerates wet feet, so it copes with the low corner that stays damp after rain.

Growing Coolamon Tree in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. It takes light frost only, so cold inland districts, the tablelands and hard frosting southern gardens are not suitable. Young trees want protection from harsh afternoon sun and drying wind while they establish.

Soil. Deep, rich, moisture holding soil is what it grew up in. Work compost through the bed and mulch 75mm deep, clear of the trunk. Unusually for a rainforest tree it tolerates wet feet, so heavy ground is not a barrier.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first two summers and never let it dry out hard, since it is not drought tolerant. Feed a controlled release native fertiliser in early spring and late summer.

Pruning. Very little. Tip prune young trees to build a framework, and resist cutting mature trunks or main branches, because those are the surfaces the flowers form on.

What to expect when it arrives

Four sizes are grown: 45L, 100L, 200L and 400L. The 45L is an established young tree and the sensible size for a screen line. From 100L up the specimens read as mature trees the day they go in.

Some leaf drop or bronzing after transit is normal and grows out with the next flush. Growth is steady rather than quick, and trunk flowering begins once a tree has age and girth, so expect a few seasons before the full display. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Read the lilly pilly care guide, which covers the whole Syzygium group.
• Compare the rest of the Syzygium range.
• Browse Australian native trees for companions.
• See our guide to rare Australian native plants.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

Three metres apart in a single row. Closer and the lower branches shade each other out, thinning the screen where you need cover.

When will it flower on the trunk?

Once the tree has real age and girth, usually several seasons after planting. Larger 200L and 400L specimens are much closer to flowering size than a 45L tree.

Is the fruit worth eating?

The large white fruit is edible with a mild, slightly sour taste. Most people grow the tree for the flowers and leave the fruit to the birds.

Will it grow in Melbourne or Adelaide?

Not reliably in an open garden, since it takes light frost only. A warm sheltered courtyard is the best chance.