Blue Tongue, Melastoma affine, also known by the common name of Native Lassiandra, is a fast growing, beautiful, evergreen fruit bearing shrub up to 2 meters tall, distributed in the tropical and sub-tropical woodlands of Australia, India and South-east Asia. Melastoma affine is a member of the family Melastomataceae the genus Melastoma.


The Blue Tongue has leathery dark green leaves, ovate, 6-12 cm long, 2-4 cm wide, covered with short, stiff hairs and with some obvious veins. The flowers are purple with 5 circular, petals and 5 sepals, large, about 7cm across, followed by purple fruits.

Flowers produce no nectar but offer pollinators, particularly native bees, with large amounts of pollen as an alternative. Honey Bees, Apis mellifera, can’t pollinate the plant. Flowers are produced over several months but last just a few days.

The purple, 8 mm long fruits of Blue Tongue split open to expose a red to purple flesh with many small seeds. Fruit are edible, sweet but not overly tasty and stain the mouth blue, hence the common name.

Melastoma affine is a known hyper-accumulator of Aluminium (Al) and as such can be utilized for phytoremediation meaning the mitigation of environmental contaminant material through the usage of plants.

Plant propagation is by seed. Blue Tongue is a hardy to a wide range of soils and sites, but sensitive to dry conditions and frost. It benefits from a annual pruning otherwise could become quite thin and sparse. Melastoma affine does best in full sun position with a good water supply.

Blue Tongue, Melastoma affine

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