Elaeocarpus reticulatus

'Prima Donna' is a selected form of the blueberry ash, chosen for denser blue-green foliage and heavier flowering than the seedling type. Red new growth runs through the canopy, and from spring into summer the whole tree hangs with masses of pale pink fringed bell flowers, followed by glossy blue fruit that birds work over.

In the landscape

A tall, narrow evergreen that solves the recurring problem of screening a boundary where there is no width to give away. At 1.5–2.0 m centres it forms a continuous screen; at 3 m it reads as an avenue of individual trees. Non-invasive roots and a slim crown make it a well-mannered street tree, and it holds its own as a courtyard specimen or in a rainforest-style understorey planting.

Growing notes

Evergreen, frost resistant, and tolerant of tropical heat, coastal exposure and pollution, an unusually wide envelope, which is why it plants successfully from Queensland through New South Wales and into Victoria. Sandy, loamy and acidic soils suit it best, with free drainage and full sun to light shade. Growth is moderate. Mature size in the ground is roughly 8–10 m tall by 3–4 m wide.

This tree

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