Burdekin Plum

Burdekin Plum (Pleiogynium timoriense) is an Australian native shade tree that also feeds you. In a cultivated garden it settles at about 8m tall with a spreading canopy around 6m across, holding dense evergreen foliage and carrying flattened purple black fruit that has been a bush food in northern Australia for a very long time. It is tough where it counts: salt, wind, drought and humidity are all handled once it is established.

Why you'll love it

• Real shade, at a manageable size. A dense 6m canopy on an 8m tree covers a seating area or a driveway without dominating a suburban block.
• Bush food from your own tree. The purple black fruit is edible, though it needs to soften for a week or two after picking before it is worth eating.
• Built for exposed and coastal sites. Salt tolerant, wind tolerant and drought tolerant, which is a rare combination in a shade tree this dense.
• Birds work it hard. Fruiting brings in a range of native birds, which is why many gardeners plant it.
• Evergreen. The canopy holds through winter, so the shade and the screening are there all year.

Where it works best

Shade tree. Give it room: with a canopy around 6m across, allow at least 4m to 5m clearance from a house, fence or paving.

Driveways and avenues. Spaced 8m to 10m apart along a drive, the canopies meet overhead without crowding into each other. Closer and they compete and lift into narrow, drawn out crowns.

Coastal gardens and windbreaks. Salt and wind tolerance make it useful on an exposed coastal block, as a specimen or in a row along the windward boundary.

Growing Burdekin Plum in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the best canopy and the heaviest fruiting. This is a tree for 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.

Soil. Adaptable, including sandy coastal soils, as long as it drains. Work compost through the planting hole and mulch to 75mm, kept clear of the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first two summers, then only in extended dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring for the first few years is enough.

Pruning. Very little is needed. Remove the lowest branches if you want clearance for a car or a mower, and take out crossing branches early to build a sound canopy.

What to expect when it arrives

It is sold as tube stock: a young single stemmed seedling, well under knee height. That is a modest start for a tree this size, but tube stock establishes faster than large potted specimens and usually catches up within a few years.

Growth is moderate rather than fast, so plan on several years to useful shade. Fruiting takes longer again and varies from tree to tree. Plants travel well, packed to stay upright. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Choosing trees to line a driveway.
• Browse the full Australian native tree range.
• Compare other edible and bush food plants.
• See what suits salt exposed coastal gardens.

Common questions

How far from the house should I plant it?

Allow at least 4m to 5m, since the canopy spreads to about 6m. That gives you shade over the outdoor area without branches sitting on the roof or gutters.

Can you actually eat the fruit?

Yes, but not straight off the tree. Burdekin plums need to be stored for a week or two until they soften and darken, which sweetens them considerably. Eaten fresh from the branch they are astringent.

Will it fruit in a suburban garden?

Usually, in a warm climate with full sun, though it varies between seedling trees and takes several years to begin. Plant it for the shade and the birds first.