Communities

Scientific Name

Astroloma humifusum

Family Name

EPACRIDACEAE

Common Name

Native Cranberry

Status

Height

Flowers

Inconspicuous, red, tubular flowers partly hidden by the leaves.

Fruit

Berries or drupes

Form

Small much-branches shrub, usually prostrate and forming a small mat.

Municipalities

Break O'Day; Brighton; Burnie; Central Coast; Central Highlands; Circular Head; Clarence; Derwent Valley; Devonport; Dorset; Flinders Island; Georgetown; Glamorgan-Spring Bay; Glenorchy; Hobart; Huon Valley; Kentish; Kingborough; Latrobe; Launceston; Meander Valley; Northern Midlands; Sorell; Southern Midlands; Tasman; Waratah-Wynyard; West Coast; West Tamar

Communities

Heath

Habitat Notes

Widespread and abundant in dry heaths and pastures.

Site Tolerance

Dry; Exposed; Moist; Rocky; Windy

Frost Tolerance

Soil Tolerance

Fertile; Loam; Poor; Sandy; Well-drained

General Notes

Susceptible to Phytophthora cinnamomi The fruits are sweet and edible. Suitable below powerlines.

Propagation Details

Propagation Calendar

Flowering Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Collecting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Sowing Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Cutting Months

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Seed Information

Seed Collection

Seed is enclosed in a hard woody drupe covered with fleshy green fruit. collect by hand

Seed Treatment Method

Storage

Seed Storage Life

Viable Seeds Per Gram

Seed Treatment Notes

Difficult to grow from seed due to a complex dormancy. A range of treatments has been tried unsuccessfully, acid, stratification at 3oC, light/dark, leaching, cracking seed coat in vice. Sowing seed in soil collected from under parent plants may improve results.

Germination Time

Suitable for Direct Seeding

Cuttings

Expected Time to Take Root

Expected Time to Plant Out

Propagation by Division N.B. Transplant only from nearby to avoid disease.

Cutting Notes

Usually grown from cutttingss, which is also difficult as suitable cutting wood is difficult to find. Roots are very fine so extreme care is needed when repotting. Firm young growth gives best results.