Brush Cherry – Nutritional Value, Health Benefits

Brush Cherry Facts

Plant Description

Brush Cherry is a slow-growing evergreen shrub or small tree with a dense, pyramidal crown.  A broad dense bushy rainforest tree, it grows to a height of 15 m (49 ft.) with a trunk diameter up to 35 cm (14 in).  The plant is found growing in rain forests, sandy soils by the sea, subtropical, littoral rainforest on sandy soils, stabilized dunes near the sea, self establishes freely in shade, including native forest, parks and gardens. The plant prefers alluvial, lateritic, sandy alluvia, marl and olitic limestone. Some of them tolerate saline soil and are found on deep, rich, well-drained soils.

Leaves

The leaves are 3-10 cm long and 1.5-3 cm broad, opposite, simple and slightly obovate, tapering at the leaf base. They are dark glossy green color on the upper page, and paler below. The young leaves are red-bronze colored. Petiole is about 3–5 mm long.

Flower

It has cymose or panicle terminal inflorescences with flowers with cream white petals, about 5 mm long and several white stamina about 8-15 mm long, which are the most conspicuous part of the flower. Calyx is green with lobes tipped red but later all red; tube narrowly obconic about 5 mm long. Lobes are oblong, 3 mm long and 2.7 mm wide. Petals are white, round, 4 mm long and wide. Stamens are white, about 6–8 mm long. Flowering normally takes place from November and February.

Fruits

Fertile flowers are followed by fleshy globose or ovoid berry, 1.3–1.5 cm long, and 0.8–1 cm wide. Fruits are initially green turning to magenta or can be white, pink or purple with a slightly acidulous taste, containing one seed only, usually polyembryonic. It reproduces by branch cutting of the year and by seed, which must be planted as soon as possible, as it has a short lasting germinable capacity.

It also stated that “The red juice of the fruit of this tree is similar in its properties to that of red grapes. It contains free tartaric acid, cream of tartar, sugar, and red coloring matter very sensitive to the action of acids and alkalies. By fermentation it yields wine possessing a bouquet. The coloring matter, which is soluble in alcohol and ether-alcohol, but not in pure ether, is precipitated by lead-acetate, decolorized by reducing agents, and recovers its red color on exposure to the air, just like litmus and the red color of wine. The edible fruit is occasionally collected from the wild, though it is not widely appreciated. The tree is commonly grown as a hedge and ornamental. The plant is endangered, with a serious risk of disappearing from the wild within one or two decades if current land use continues.

Culinary uses

• Crisp and very juicy, the aromatic rose-purple fruits are often eaten to quench the thirst.
• The pleasantly sour fruit are also eaten fresh or cooked.
• The fruit can be used to make jams and jellies

Other Facts

• Plants are used for hedging in frost-free areas of California.
• They are widely used for hedging and to provide shelter from the wind in frost-free areas of California and Florida.
• Outside Australia, brush cherry is used as a subject for bonsai.
• This species has been adopted by Coffs Harbor City Council as the City’s floral symbol.

References