Billardiera scandens

Smith

Appleberry, Apple dumpling, Common Appleberry

Pittosporaceae Edible: Fruit 2,288 iNaturalist observations

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Summary

Billardiera scandens, commonly known as hairy apple berry or common apple-berry, is a small shrub or twining plant of the Pittosporaceae family which occurs in forests in the coastal and tableland areas of all states and territories in Australia, apart from the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It has a silky touch and appearance that becomes more brittle as the dense growth matures. The inflorescence consists of single or paired yellow flowers, pink-tinged yellow sepals and bright yellow petals and is attached to a hairy drooping peduncle. The summer flush produces fruit of oblong berries up to 30 mm long, initially green in colour and covered in fine hair - somewhat akin to a tiny kiwifruit in appearance.

Description

A small woody plant. It has twining branches. The stems can be 3-4 m long. The leaves are thin and sword shaped. They are 3-5 cm long. The edges can be wavy. The upper surface is dull green and the underneath is paler with prominent midribs. The flowers are large and greenish-yellow then turning purple. They are bell shaped and hang downwards. They are 2-5 cm across. Flower stalks are slender and 2.5 cm long. The fruit is 4 cm long and 1 cm wide and green turning yellow when ripe. The fruit are edible.

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Fruit Edible Uses: Fruit - raw or cooked. Unripe fruits can be roasted. A pleasant sub-acid flavour akin to dried apples. Tastes like kiwi fruits (Actinidia deliciosa). The fruits are up to 2.5cm long.

Traditional Uses

The ripe fruit are eaten. They have a flavour like stewed apples. The unripe fruit need to be cooked. For eating fresh the fruit should be very ripe and soft. They can be cooked. It can be used in baked desserts, pies, tarts, muffins and scones.

Medicinal Uses

None known

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It tends to grow in dry woodland. It can grow in coastal scrub or high rainfall forest. It needs well drained soil. It can stand light frost. Tasmania Herbarium.

Where It Grows

Australia*, Tasmania*,

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seed or cuttings. The fresh seed with the pulp removed are sown shallowly. They take 8-10 weeks to germinate. Stored seed may take a year to germinate. Cuttings strike easily. Semi ripe cuttings 10-12 cm long with a heel are planted in warm soil. Young stems can be layered to form roots.

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a warm greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Only just cover the seed. Sow stored seed in early spring in a warm greenhouse. The germination of fresh seed is usually prolific, but stored seed can take a year to germinate. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10 - 12cm with a heel, July/August in a frame. Fair percentage. Layering.

Other Uses

None known Special Uses

Production

Fruit are usually harvested after they have fallen to the ground. They are then very ripe.

Other Information

The fruit are eaten by children.

Notes

There are about 25 Billardiera species. They grow in Australia.

Nutrition

Part	Moisture	kJ	kcal	Protein	Vit A	Vit C	Iron	Zinc
Fruit	66.7	319	76	1.1	—	—	7.7	1.5

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