When to Plant Surinam Cherry in Cairns, Tropical Guide
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Surinam Cherry guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Soil pH
- 6.6–7.3
Surinam cherry, sold in Australia as Brazilian cherry, is a fast evergreen shrub 2 to 5 m with ribbed red to near black fruit, picked March to June (Daleys).
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Best Planting Window for Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar P
- Apr P
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug -
- Sep P
- Oct P
- Nov P
- Dec -
P = Planting window
Daleys lists tropical as a home climate. Plant in autumn after the wet or in spring (our timing). Harvest March to June; fruit follows about three weeks after each flowering, so expect odd fruit at other times. It self seeds into native bush in regional areas and is among the top 200 environmental weeds of south east Queensland; net the fruit and collect fallen fruit.
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How to Grow Surinam Cherry in Tropical Australia
- Soil
- Good drainage (Daleys); any soil but not salty (Purdue).
- Salt
- Sensitive. Struggles with salty bore water or salty soil. Give it rainwater if you can.
- pH Range
- 6.6-7.3
- Sunlight
- Full sun to light shade (Daleys, Nurseries Online).
- Keep away from
- Rainforest remnants and bushland edges (weed spread), Salty sites
Tropical Growing Tips for Surinam Cherry
Recommended Varieties
- Brazilian cherry, red (Daleys)
- Black fruited forms (Daleys)
Key Challenges
- Fruit fly
- Resinous under ripe fruit
- Weed spread by birds
Pro Tips
- Net the fruit
- Pick when it falls into the hand
- Deseed and chill before eating
Pests and problems for Surinam Cherry in Tropical
Harvesting Surinam Cherry
When ready: Fully dark red and soft (Daleys); the fruit falls into the hand at a touch (Purdue).
How to harvest: Pick daily by hand; fruit ripens about three weeks after flowering (Daleys, Purdue).
Storing and preserving surinam cherry
How to keep it
- Freezing. Deseed, tray freeze. Keeps: 6 to 12 months.
- Jam or jelly. Deseed, chill, tested method, water bath (Purdue use). Keeps: 12 months.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Surinam Cherry
When do you plant surinam cherry in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Mar to Apr, Sep to Nov
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Sep to Nov
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Sep to Nov
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): not recommended
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): not recommended
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to Apr, Sep to Oct
- Mediterranean (Perth): Sep to Oct
When should I plant Surinam Cherry in Cairns?
Daleys lists tropical as a home climate. Plant in autumn after the wet or in spring (our timing). Harvest March to June; fruit follows about three weeks after each flowering, so expect odd fruit at other times. It self seeds into native bush in regional areas and is among the top 200 environmental weeds of south east Queensland; net the fruit and collect fallen fruit.
How do I know when Surinam Cherry are ready to harvest?
Fully dark red and soft (Daleys); the fruit falls into the hand at a touch (Purdue).
What are the best Surinam Cherry varieties for Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Brazilian cherry, red (Daleys), Black fruited forms (Daleys).
Are surinam cherry salt tolerant?
No. Surinam cherry are salt-sensitive, one of the more sensitive veggies. Use rainwater if your bore water is salty, or grow them in a raised bed of fresh mix if your soil is.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.