Eremophila debilis aka Amulla

Eremophila debilis, or winter apple, is a small shrub. It is evergreen and belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family. Its older name is Myoporum debile. It is native to eastern Australia and New Zealand’s North Island. Records place it in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. It grows in open forests, grassland and dry places. In New Zealand, records place it on the coast between Raglan and Kawhia.

This woody plant spreads low across the ground. It can reach about 3.3 feet (1 metre) tall. Sources give widths of 3.3–6.6 feet (1–2 metres). Its low, wide shape makes it useful as ground cover. It keeps its leaves through the year. Gardeners grow it for its flowers, fruit and leaves. It can suit a sunny woodland edge. A wall site with shelter can also suit it. The sources give no details of its leaves or bark.

Plants For A Future lists blooms from July to September. It lists August to October for ripe seeds. These dates come from a source that covers growing in Britain. Flowers have both male and female parts. The plant is self-fertile: it can set seed on its own. Its fruit measures about 0.24–0.31 inches (6–8 millimetres) long. Reports say it tastes salty and sweet, with some bitterness. People have picked fruit from wild plants for food.

It grows in full sun. Useful Tropical Plants also reports success in moderate shade. Most soils suit it, including sand, loam and clay. It prefers soil that drains well, whether dry or moist. It copes with soil from mildly acid to mildly alkaline. Most of its range has a warm temperate or subtropical climate. Its range also reaches the tropics. It can cope with light frost from time to time. Trees give it some shelter from frost. British guidance reports success outdoors on the Scilly Isles. In the rest of Britain, it needs a greenhouse in most cases. Sow seeds under glass in spring. Keep young plants safe from cold through their first winter. You can also raise plants from half-ripe cuttings.

Food use needs a clear warning. Both plant-use sources say the fruit may contain a liver toxin. Useful Tropical Plants also notes a risk of long-term harm. Reports that people eat it raw or cooked do not prove safety. Plants For A Future records Aboriginal use to treat venereal disease. That past use does not prove that the treatment works. The supplied evidence names no pests or diseases that cause problems.