Slow growing

A medium tree growing up to 20 metres with simple, alternate leaves, blade dark glossy green above, paler almost glaucescent below. Leaves are oblong-elliptical drawn to a narrow blunt point at apex, 6-12 cm long. White flowers in panicles from leaf axil or terminal. Flowers September to November. Black, globular drupe 6-12 mm long is ripe December to February.

Flowers and foliage. Photo: Robert Whyte

Host plant

Host plant for larvae of Blue Triangle Graphium sarpedon choredon, Bronze Flat Netrocoryne repanda repanda and Common Red-eye or Eastern Dusk-flat Chaetocneme beata butterflies.

Blue Triangle butterflies.

Flowers

Flower buds begin appearing in the first week of September. In some years, few if any flowers appear on the Murrogun and in others the flowers are profuse.

Flower buds. Photo: Robert Whyte

This photograph shows some of the fruit still green but full size. Photo: Robert Whyte

This photograph shows the fruit blue-purple but full size, on its way to being black. Photo: Robert Whyte

Seed collecting and propagation

Black, globular drupe 6-12 mm long is ripe December to February. May fruit prolificly but not every year. Sow fresh, first removing outer flesh from seed. No need to remove green aril. Germination takes 6-16 weeks.