Elaeocarpus eumundi

These are Eumundi quandongs grown on specifically for continuous screen and feature wall work, furnished low, matched for height, and selected so a run of them reads as one unbroken green plane rather than a line of individual trees. The foliage is broad, shiny green with bronzy maroon new growth, and the habit is naturally columnar.

In the landscape

Planted shoulder to shoulder at roughly 1.2–1.5 m centres these form a solid feature wall in a single season, which is why they are specified for boundary screening, pool and plant-room concealment, and green architectural planes against built form. Matched height across the batch matters here: order the run together so the top line stays level. Keep a consistent irrigation line along the row, and clip lightly to hold the face flat.

Growing notes

Evergreen, with a naturally columnar habit and a moderate to fast rate of growth. It prefers a sandy to loamy, slightly acidic soil with free drainage, and takes full sun or light shade. Tropical heat, coastal exposure and urban pollution are all handled without complaint; light frost is tolerated once the tree is established, though young stock is better sheltered on a cold site. Roots are non-invasive and the crown stays narrow. In the ground it reaches roughly 8–12 m tall on a narrow 3–4 m crown, and it suits Queensland, coastal New South Wales and warm, sheltered parts of Victoria.

This tree

• Currently standing: 80 trees

Field-grown ex-ground at Donkin Farm, Utchee Creek, root-pruned and basket-lifted, delivered and craned Australia-wide, price on application through the Shortlist.