Red Quondong

Common Names: Quandong, Desert Quandong, Native Peach

The Quandong is an awesome small Aussie tree from the sandalwood family. It grows real tough in dry areas and gives you a bright red fruit with a sweet and tangy flavour—bit like a sour peach. It’s perfect for pies, jams, or just scoffing down fresh. They love Perth conditions, especially with a bit of elbow grease to get 'em started.

Features:

Ideal prune height range: 2-4m

pH growing conditions: 7 to 8 (Neutral to alkaline)

Shade or full sun: Full sun is best

Minimum pot year 5: 40L pot

Time to fruit age: 4-7 years from seedling

Quandongs are a bit cheeky; they're hemiparasitic, which means they need another plant's roots (a host) to help them suck up water and nutrients. Plant 'em near wattle (Acacia) or some native grasses to keep them happy. Once they've settled, they're easy and tough as nails but can't be transplanted, handling drought and frost like a champ.

The tree has long, grey-green drooping leaves and small cream-coloured flowers in summer, followed by the cracking red fruit in spring/summer.

Interesting Notes:

This fruit's a true superfood, loaded with way more vitamin C and antioxidants than a blueberry or an orange. You can eat the fruit's flesh, and the kernel inside the hard pit is edible too—tastes like an almond.

Limited stock. Pickup from Parkwood, WA. Delivery to Perth Metro only.

Keywords: Quandong, native fruit tree, bush tucker, Santalum acuminatum, drought tolerant Perth