Last week the flora article featured masses of flowers arranged in candles, this week it’s fruit arranged in panicles (or great big fancy bunches, to use a less technical term). The fruit in question is growing on a local tree called Celery Wood (or Polyscias elegans), and it’s appearing right now all around the Illawarra, in absolute profusion, purple-black, shiny, juicy, and irresistible to many local birds.

If you wander through the rainforest gully at the Wollongong Botanic Garden, or take a hike down in the littoral rainforest at Seven Mile Beach, you might be able to spot a Celery Wood or two in fruit. If you’re lucky, you might see one providing a feast for assorted pigeons, darting little Silvereyes or even a Green Catbird. This shot taken by Amanda de George shows a Brown Cuckoo-dove tucking in, and looking like it’s concentrating very hard on the task at hand.

Celery Wood is as elegant as its scientific name suggests, and although it’s not commonly planted around Illawarra, it’s widespread in remnant vegetation, plus there are a few old trees growing on verges and in parks and gardens.

With its almost lacy-looking foliage and dense canopy, it provides good shade and, of course, is an excellent plant for attracting birds. It’s fast-growing when young but doesn’t reach intimidating heights once mature, so it’s a good option for urban gardens that have space for a tree.

Visit the Growing Illawarra Natives website for more information about local plants