Billardiera cymosa

Sweet appleberry (Billardiera cymosa) is a light twining climber from southern Australia that reaches about 2m high and 1.5m across, small enough to cover a trellis panel without ever becoming a problem. Through spring it hangs clusters of narrow purple and pink bells along the stems, followed by sweet edible berries. It is one of the easiest native climbers to place in a small garden.

Why you'll love it

• A climber that stays in scale. At 2m by 1.5m it will not swamp a fence or pull down a trellis the way a jasmine or a wisteria can.
• Edible berries. The small fruit that follows the flowers ripens sweet, with the apple like flavour that gives the plant its name.
• Genuinely tough. Frost hardy, drought tolerant and content in poor soil, which is what the dry southern country it comes from demands.
• It feeds insects. Native bees and butterflies work the bell flowers steadily through spring.

Where it works best

Screening a small structure. Plant 1m apart along a trellis or wire for light cover. It gives filtered privacy rather than a solid wall, which suits a courtyard divider or a lattice panel.

Small gardens. Its modest size lets it climb an obelisk in a bed, scramble over a low fence or thread through an established shrub without smothering it.

Pots and containers. A 400mm pot with a frame in it gives you a movable screen on a balcony or a courtyard.

Growing sweet appleberry in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade, with the heaviest flowering in sun. It suits warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy, so cold southern winters are no obstacle. Humid tropical and subtropical conditions do not suit it.

Soil. Free draining is the main requirement, and poor sandy ground is fine. Avoid rich, heavily fertilised beds, and never let it sit wet through winter.

Water and feed. Water regularly through the first summer, then only in long dry spells. A low phosphorus native fertiliser in early spring is plenty, since heavy feeding gives you leaf at the expense of flowers.

Pruning. Tip prune after flowering to thicken the cover and keep stems within the frame. It is a twiner rather than a clinger, so it needs wire, lattice or a shrub to climb, not a bare wall.

What to expect when it arrives

It is supplied in tube stock. These are young plants with a few soft trailing stems, which is how most native climbers are sold, and they establish quickly once they have something to hold. Tie the first stems to the support at planting so they head in the right direction.

Tubes travel well because there is nothing tall to snap. Expect a quiet month while the roots go down, then rapid stem growth through the first warm season and the first real flowering in the second spring. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full climber range
• More edible plants for the garden
• Softening fences and retaining walls with plants
• Explore Australian native plants

Common questions

Are the berries actually worth eating?

Yes. They ripen to a sweet, mildly apple flavoured fruit and have long been eaten as a bush food. Wait until they soften, because unripe berries are dry and bland.

How far apart should I plant it along a trellis?

1m apart gives light continuous cover. It is not a dense screener, so where you need real privacy use it as a decorative layer over a solid structure.

Will it damage a fence or wall?

No. It twines rather than clinging with aerial roots or suckers, so it needs a support and it comes away without leaving marks.

Does it need frost protection?

No. It is frost hardy and comes from parts of southern Australia with cold winters. First season plants appreciate shelter, but established ones need nothing.