Syzygium smithii - Acmena smithii - Common Lilly Pilly

Syzygium smithii (Acmena smithii)

Common Lilly Pilly

Other names: Common Lilly Pilly, Acmena smithii, Eugenia smithii
Family: Myrtaceae
Habitat: Coastal and highland rainforests
Uses: The fruits are edible
Season: Autumn and Winter
References: Low, Robinson

The scientific name of the Common Lilly Pilly used to be Acmena smithii, recently it has been renamed to Syzygium smithii in line with many other Lilly Pillies that were already in the genus Syzygium.

The Common Lilly Pilly is a well known Australian bush tucker plant. It is either a shrub or tree up to 20 metres high, depending on the conditions where it is growing. In the Blue Mountains it is a tree that grows along rainforest creek banks. By the seashore it may not grow so tall, perhaps only 1-2 metres. It is often grown as an ornamental tree, seen in private home gardens and in commercial places. For example it surrounds some of the multilevel car parks at the Westfield shopping centre at Penrith (do not eat these as they may have been sprayed with chemicals). The fruits were widely eaten by Aboriginies. The fruits of coastal (especially seashore) growing Lilly Pillies are the least best tasting, often quite small and tough.

Syzygium smithii - Acmena smithii - Common Lilly Pilly
Photo: Stan Shebs, Syzygium smithii, Common Lilly Pilly. San Francisco Botanical Garden

Syzygium smithii - Acmena smithii - Common Lilly Pilly
Photo: Stan Shebs, Syzygium smithii, Common Lilly Pilly. San Francisco Botanical Garden. Higher resolution (1600 x 1914)

Bush Tucker Plant Foods - Fruits
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