Plant profile
Fraser Island apple
Acronychia imperforata
Also known as Logan apple, Coastal aspen, Beach acronychia.
Fraser Island apple is an Australian coastal rainforest tree, native to sheltered dune and littoral rainforest from central Queensland into northern New South Wales, with glossy leaves, fragrant cream flowers and small yellow fruit that can be used in preserves.
- Grows well in
- Tropical, Subtropical
- Lifecycle
- Evergreen native small tree
- Light
- Full sun, Part shade
- Mature size
- Usually 5–8 m high and 3–4 m wide in gardens
- Spacing
- About 3–5 m apart
- Growth habit
- Dense evergreen rainforest tree or large shrub
- Native range
- Eastern Australia, from Queensland to northern New South Wales
- Natural habitat
- Subtropical and coastal rainforest, coastal forest and forest margins.
When to plant
Tropical
February–May, September–November
Subtropical
March–May, September–November
Temperate
September–November
Mediterranean
September–November
Tropical and subtropical: plant during warm, moist weather. Avoid frost-prone sites.
Planting
Plant into free-draining soil and water regularly while young. It handles coastal conditions well once established.
Position and light
Full sun to part shade.
Soil
Sandy loam to loam with good drainage. Compost and mulch help on exposed coastal ground, and the tree tolerates salt-laden wind once its root system is established.
Watering
Water regularly while establishing and during long dry periods. Established trees handle coastal conditions well.
Feeding
Use compost and a light native-friendly feed if growth is slow.
Pruning
Prune after fruiting or a growth flush to shape the tree or keep it as a dense screen. It responds well to clipping and can be maintained as a hedge in coastal gardens where a lower, denser form is wanted.
Harvest
Pick ripe yellow fruit. The flavour can be sharp or bitter, so it is more often used in preserves than eaten fresh.
Propagation
Fresh seed germinates well. Cuttings can also be used.
Common problems
Few serious garden problems. Scale may occur on stressed growth.
Safety notes
Fruit is edible when ripe.
Worth knowing
The fruit is edible but can be quite bitter. It is more useful as a native food and habitat tree than as a sweet dessert fruit, and the flowers attract native bees and other pollinating insects. As a rainforest species it tolerates part shade when young but flowers and fruits more heavily once it reaches full sun in an open canopy. The fruit has also historically been eaten by Aboriginal people along its coastal range, generally after cooking or processing to soften its sharper flavour.
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