Common Name:

General Information

Syzygium tierneyanum is an evergreen tree with a dense, spreading crown; it usually grows 10 - 12 metres tall, though older trees up to 25 metres have been recorded. The straight, cylindrical bole can be 65cm in diameter, occasionally to 150cm, often with buttresses on larger trees. Especially when growing by rivers, however, the bole can often be short and twisted and battered by frequent flooding[, , ].
The tree is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and source of wood. It occasionally produces millable logs and the sawn timber is marketed in Australia as Bamaga Satinash[]. A large spreading tree, it is planted along streams to stabilize the soil and is becoming popular as a shade tree in parkland[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Australasia - New Guinea, northern Australia to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.

Habitat

A canopy or sub-canopy tree, usually growing in rain forest or gallery forest along creeks and watercourses at elevations up to 450 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Tree
Height	12.00 m
Growth Rate	Fast
Pollinators	Bees, Butterflies, Flies
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Plants are surprisingly tolerant of frost[].
Succeeds in a range of soils[]. So long as the soil is moist, the plant does not seem to be fussy about fertility[].
A fast-growing tree[].

Edible Uses

Fruit[]. Edible, but not very appealing[]. The red or white, globular fruit is about 20mm in diameter; the succulent flesh surrounding a solitary seed about 5 - 8mm in diameter[].

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

The tree is often planted along the sides of streams in order to stabilize the banks[].

Other Uses

The wood is a structural timber[].
We do not have any more specific information for the wood of this species, but the various species of Syzygium tend to have somewhat similar timber. The general description of syzygium timber is as follows:-
The heartwood is a golden brown, greyish brown or brown, with pink or purplish glints; it is not clearly demarcated from the 1 - 4cm wide band of sapwood. The texture is fine; the grain slightly interlocked, sometimes wavy or irregular; there are resin deposits. The wood is heavy; moderately hard; somewhat durable, being moderately resistant to fungi and termites, but susceptible to dry wood borers. It seasons slowly, with a high risk of checking and distortion; once dry it is moderately stable in service. It works well with ordinary tools, nailing and screwing are good so long as the wood is pre-bored; gluing is correct. The wood is used for musical instruments, tool handles, furniture components, ship building, heavy carpentry, flooring, joinery etc[].

Propagation

Seed - sown fresh, the germination is rapid and reliable[].

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