SILVER ASPEN Acronychia wilcoxiana

Description: The Silver Aspen is a relatively fast growing tree with a dense crown, the large, glossy leaves are pleasantly aromatic when crushed. A highly ornamental shade tree, in the garden the Silver Aspen would usually attain a height of no more than 9m. Indigenous to the littoral & subtropical rainforests eastern Australia the Silver Aspen adapts well to most sunny well drained sites. Dense clusters of small, whitish flowers in summer are followed by ribbed fruit to 2cm in diameter, creamy white in colour and are borne in heavy bunches in autumn.

Uses: The aromatic fruits are what makes this tree special, crisp, juicy and with a ‘lemony’ tang. Fruit should be harvested before they drop and snap frozen or better, used fresh in anything from salad dressing to sorbet. The Silver Aspen is only one of a number of rainforest Acronychias that have edible fruit each with their own distinctively different flavour and are also host plants to the various Swallowtail butterflies.