Fauna
Plant · GBIF taxon 3182605

Scrub Cherry

Syzygium australe

Also known as Brush Cherry, Creek Lilly-Pilly, Creek Satinash, Watergum

Scrub cherries are dense evergreen rainforest trees native to eastern Australia, recognized by their glossy foliage with vibrant bronze new growth and fluffy clusters of cream-white stamens. Their abundant crimson to magenta fruit serves as a crucial seasonal food source for frugivorous rainforest birds, flying foxes, and possums that disperse the seeds across waterways. In subtropical and warm-temperate gallery forests, their fibrous root systems play an important role in anchoring riparian banks against flash floods.

EvergreenRainforestBird-Attracting
Scrub Cherry reference1 / 7
Licensed reference(c) Tony Rebelo, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Tony Rebelo · cc-by-sa
—observations
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & prey
  • Sunlight
  • Water
  • Soil nutrients
Predators
  • Lilly Pilly Psyllid
  • Grey-headed Flying Fox
  • Crimson Rosella
ThreatsMyrtle rust infection, psyllid damage, and riparian habitat degradation
HabitatsSubtropical rainforests, riparian margins, and coastal gullies
Life span50–100+ years
Classification
  1. FamilyMyrtaceae
  2. SpeciesSyzygium australe
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskLow
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is low
Wild berries have toxic look-alikes; never eat based on app identification alone.
Responsible observation
  • Fruiting Seasons: Look for dense clusters of bright magenta berries between autumn and winter.
  • Wildlife Watching: Scan the canopy at twilight for visiting fruit bats and honeyeaters.
  • Pest Monitoring: Check leaf surfaces for blistered galls caused by tiny sap-sucking psyllid nymphs.
Related species
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