I have two of these plants appear now, self sown. Is this an edible fig? If so, I would like to transplant it somewhere else. View attachment 2567 View attachment 2568
Also, any ideas on this plant? There are two self sown plants like this. Does it look a little like Tamarillo leaf? View attachment 2569 View attachment 2570
No, the leaves are smooth on both sides, and relatively thick/tough. It did have one fruit on it that was looking like it was coming ripe, but I found it in the middle of the yard 1/2 eaten :-( It sure looked like some sort of fig on the inside - but it was very immature.
Omalanthus populifolius or "Bleeding Heart Tree". A rainforest understory and pioneer type species. The second set of pics which were not common feral guava.
Thanks Curramore1. I just searched images of the bleeding heart tree, and the leaves are a bit different. On my one, the stem attaches about a 1/3 of the way down the leaf - where-as the Bleeding Heart Tree leaves's stem attaches at the top and has a curve? Do you mean the guava IS "common feral guava"?
The second one looks like Macaranga to me- a common rainforest pioneer species in my area. The first is definitely common (not strawberry) guava. Good luck keeping the fruit fly off them! Or you could always eat the fruit at night instead....
Definite Macaranga. 99.9% sure. Here is one of mine: And https://www.daff.qld.gov.au/plants/...ng-of-weeds/photo-guide-to-weeds/yellow-guava Came across a great Yellow Guava the other day, no fruit fly, completely laden with fruit and delicious. Hundreds of fruit on one shrub and the three of us at work ate our fill.
Thank you. Hmmm ..... fruit flys ... maybe I can figure out some way of getting the micro bats that live in my house roof to go to work on them
It is really interesting how fruit fly behaves differently in different areas. In my old childhood garden the fruit flies loves our strawberry guava, but in our new place we get none on them, but our stonefruit suffer badly. I suspect the adults may return to fruit similar to the ones they were laid into. There are other mysteries with pests- on our side of the village we cannot grow zucchini due to melon flies (a kind of fruit fly relative) but only a kilometer away they get none.
I had fruit fly in my guava but the last few years it had none. Maybe drought or flood?? We had a very very dry dry season and a very very wet wet season. Ive also used some molasses, apple juice and yeast fruit fly traps hung up in pet bottles with holes in the side. Fly gets in and drowns
Yes I agree with you VG, the leaf stalk is different in the bleeding heart, it looks like a Macaranga. Not quite like the dance of similar name. You can always eat the guava a little green and not look at every mouthful. They make good tennis ball cannon fodder and as a kid we used to make our shanghai or catapult frames from the forks of this tree. Not a bad tree to grow in a chook pen, the hens clean up all the fruit and roost in the branches.
I know you have identified what the are but the second plant does look a bit like a Tamarillo leaf, but is definitely not. Tamarillo has a cleft at the top of the leaf which gives it a heart shaped appearance.