Brown Malletwood

Rhodamnia rubescens
Family: MYRTACEAE 
I photographed these fruits at Peacehaven Botanic Park in Highfields in November. The same little plant is still in fruit, two months later, demonstrating how the fruits make this an outstanding ornamental small tree.
We can see old specimens in the centre picnic ground at Ravensbourne National Park (though not just at present, as it is inaccessible due to flood damage on the Esk-Hampton Highway). There, the topknot pigeons, and no doubt many other birds, delight in feasting on this plentiful food source.



Brown Malletwood grows to be a small tree, suitable even for small suburban gardens, and develops a shady canopy of these pretty leaves. Its little white flowers are sweetly perfumed
Hardy and fast-growing, it is one of the few local native plants sometimes seen in gardens.

A plant of dry rainforests, it is drought-hardy.