About Beach Cherry Plants
Beach cherry, Eugenia reinwardtiana, is a plant native to tropical northeast Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and many Pacific islands that produces a tasty fruit. It usually grows in coastal areas as a large shrub or small, shrubby tree. It makes a good landscaping plant with pretty pink growth that turns green as it matures, white flowers, and pink fruits. This is a tropical plant that grows and fruits year-round in the right conditions. Beach cherry is not actually related to cherry, however, and the flavor of the fruit is both unique and prized. The small fruits will start to develop when the plant is at least a foot (31 cm.) tall with heavy production once it reaches 2 to 3 feet (61-91 cm.) in height.
How to Prune a Beach Cherry
Beach cherry naturally forms a rounded shape and grows slowly. This makes it ideal for growing and shaping as a hedge, decorative shrub, or container plant. Trimming a beach cherry is fairly easy and the plant takes well to it. For sizing purposes, cut back a beach cherry as needed. This is especially important if you grow the plant in a container. Beach cherry pruning can also be done to create the shape you want. Since these are tropical plants that grow year-round, you can trim during any season, and although you may lose some flowers and fruits, you’ll get more soon. There are many shapes and uses for beach cherry, including rounded shrubs or small trees. These plants grow naturally in a rounded shape, so you can prune minimally to encourage a round shrub, or you can trim off lower branches and round the top to create a small, spherical, and decorative tree. Hedging and edging are also popular choices for beach cherry. Trim your beach cherry into any shape you want, but always make sharp and clean angled cuts. Make the cuts just above new buds that are pointing in the direction you want there to be new growth.
