Island Beach Fruit Trees (Popular)
Island Beach Fruit Trees and the most popular plants Australians buy for mail order. With fruit trees you should consider climate suitability.
Neem Tree
$29.00
Often called the Wonder Tree, the neem has been used for centuries in Asia as an insecticide and for medicinal purposes. The natural insecticide azadirachatin can be extracted from the seeds of the neem tree. Frost sensitive. Weed warning: in Dry Tropics Neem tree regenerates easily and can be a weed problem. They can also self seed in subtropical regions.
Special
Amla
$17.75 ($17.75-$79.00 choose a size)
The Amla or Indian Gooseberry is a small leafy tree that grows throughout India and bears an edible fruit. Amla oil is extracted from its seeds and pulp. The amla fruit is often referred to as the "Indian Gooseberry" because of its edible, very tart taste. The pectin content makes it ideal for jam and chutneys. The tree begins to yield fruit from the third year onwards and the productivity levels are good. Amla oil is prepared from dried amla berries, which have been soaked in coconut oil for several days. This oil is one of the world's oldest natural hair conditioners. These trees are semi deciduous in the winter and spring, and may lose some leaves in transport as a stress response. This is quite normal and the plant will recover well.
Buy 1+ @$17.75ea usually:$24.00ea
Betel Leaf
$19.90 ($14.75-$19.90 choose a size)
The spicy leaves can be eaten raw and cooked. The attractive leaves can be used to wrap tasty foods such as spiced rice and ginger. Requires free draining, moist, fertile soil to grow well. Trellis support advised. Or it can be grown as a dense ground cover. Soaking the leaves in cold water with a little sugar for 2 hours before use subtly alters the flavour. The white flower spikes develop into a small fruit that can be eaten. Betel leaf has many traditional medicinal uses.Betel leaf is an evergreen, perennial creeper to 90 cm. It has shiny heart-shaped leaves with small white flower spikes. It prefers a rich, well-drained soil with partial shade. It likes to be kept moist but does not tolerate water-logging. Frost will damage the leaves but not kill the plant once it is well established. It makes a good ground cover under trees in subtropical and tropical areas. It grows vigorously in the right position and because of its habit of suckering can be difficult to remove. It can be grown successfully in colder areas in a hanging basket or large pot and moved to a warm, sheltered position in winter. Betel leaf is a different plant to Betel pepper Piper betle, which is chewed with betel nut.
Small Leaf Tamarind
$19.75 ($4.90-$24.00 choose a size)
The tasty tangy fruit are a refreshing treat eaten raw or can be used in chutneys and sauces. Striking fruit from which the bright red-coated seeds emerge. We stock seedlings and cutting grown trees that fruit early. Fruits in mid summer. This small evergreen tree can be expected to reach only 5-8m in an open garden environment providing a beautiful rich green and shady, spreading crown. Also makes a excellent specimen tub plant as a young tree. The first documentation of the Small Leaf Tamarind tree was in 1891. With only approximately 30 trees left remaining in the wild of Northern NSW this endangered species is attracting quite a bit of attention both amongst bush food enthusiasts and conservationists. A beautiful and easy to manage bush food tree.
Drumstick Tree ( Moringa )
$28.90 ($23.90-$49.00 choose a size)
Also known as the Horseradish tree or Tree of Life. Possibly one of the most useful trees in the world, it produces long green pods that have been compared to a cross between peanuts and asparagus. The peeled roots are used as a substitute for horseradish and the edible leaves make a highly nutritious vegetable. Claims are made that its tiny leaves contains 7 times the Vit C of oranges, 4 times the Vit A of Carrots, 4 times the Calcium of milk, 3 times the Potassium of Bananas, and 2 times the protein of yogurt. The roots have also been documented as useful in many folk remedies. It originates in India and has spread in popularity to many parts of Asia, Central and South America, Africa and the Pacific. In Africa it has been also called the Miracle Tree with so many uses. This tree has delicate foliage and attractive pale yellow flowers. The slender, semi -deciduous, perennial tree, to about 10 m tall with drooping branches. Best kept pruned under 2mts as its the leaves that is what is best used in cooking. Thrives in subtropical and tropical climates, flowering and fruiting freely and continuously. Grows best on a dry sandy soil. Makes an ideal shade tree with high drought resistance. In temperate climates it may be beneficial to grow in pots for the first year or 2 when the tuberous root system can establish in a warmer position with sun on the pot. When larger they can be planted out, but still expect some dying back over winter as normal. Feed for best results, growers report good results from periodic fertilisation with good quality fertiliser, foliar sprays of seasol and the periodic application of Epsom salts if your soil requires. (Source: Nutritive Value of Indian Foods, by C. Gopalan) PLEASE NOTE: The foliage is delicate on young trees, and our potted plants are known for their older leaves to turn yellow and drop during transport to conserve energy. This is not a problem long term. With care and acclimatisation they will bounce back
