Broadly spreading, evergreen. Purple to bronze foliage with red winged fruits in Jan/Feb. Tough shelter shrub for exposed and coastal conditions. Too frost tender for inland South Island areas.

Symphyomurtus more prone to insect attack. Naturally durable heavy timber, originates in mixed coastal forest of Southern NSW and S.E. Victoria on fertlie free draining soils.Tolerates seasonal flooding and light frost to -6C. Rainfall 600-2500mm, Altitude 0-500m, will coppice, and resprout epicormic growth after fire, forms a lignotuber. Not suited to dry, or exposed coastal sites. Potential for organic vineyard posts, fencing, decking and heavy construction.

Broadly spreading, deciduous. Grown for timber in Europe and widely used for hedging. Clips well. Light green in spring, golden copper in autumn and brown leaves retained all winter. Apply a heavy dressing of lime on clay soils. HEDGE spacing 40-60cm

Forest canopy tree in lowland dry areas with a dark sooty trunk.Small leathery leaves arranged along the twig, pale underneath, with slightly incurved margins. DNA different from F. cliffortioides, but they readily hybridise.