Bolwarra, Eupomatia laurina, also known as Native Guava is a large shrub or small fruit bearing tree, 3-5 meters in height, indigenous to Eastern Australia and New Guinea. Eupomatia laurina is a primitive flowering plant, commonly growing as an understory in tropical rain-forest or wet sclerophyll woodland.

Eupomatia laurina is frequently multi-trunked with black, slender, crooked arching branches that grow more than 1 meter long. Leaves are shiny, dark green, oblong-elliptic, from 7-12 cm long. Leafage takes on red-bronze shades in the cooler weather of winter and spring.

The cream daisy-like flowers of Bolwara are hermaphrodite. They appear in spring and summertime in the leaf axils all along the stems. They are 2.5 cm in diameter are heavily perfumed and have no petals or sepals. Each flower only lasts one day. The flowers are pollinated by small brown weevils which are attracted in by the curious ether-like perfume.

The edible, 2-3cm in diameter globular to urn-shaped fruit is yellow-green becoming brown when mature, sweet and fragrant, born on the branches and trunk. Bolwarra berries have an interesting taste with soft, sweet flesh and potent, spicy seeds.

The fruit are quite good to eat raw, although the seeds are a bit of a nuisance. The whole fruit can be dried out, crushed and used to flavor foods such as ice-cream in cooking, beverages, jams, jellies and desserts. It is best applied in combination with other ingredients that compliment their fortified flavor, and should be looked at as a spice.

Tree propagation is by seed or cuttings. Cutting propagated trees produce fruit after two years. Seedlings take four to six years to fruit. Bolwara can be frost sensitive and favors a sheltered site. It makes a worthy garden plant and will grow in sun or shade in most soils. It is also successful as a container plant. It requires moist soil.

Eupomatia laurina is a member of the family Eupomatiaceae the genus Eupomatia. There is also two other related species endemic to Australia, Eupomatia bennettii, or small bolwarra and Eupomatia barbata or northern small bolwarra.

Bolwarra, Eupomatia laurina

Interested on Fruit and Nut Bearing Trees and Plants? Stay Tuned. There is Much More to Come.

The key to successful fruit and nut production is the provision of a beneficial environment for the trees that bear them.