Myoporum insulare aka Common Boobialla

Myoporum insulare is an evergreen shrub, also classed as a small tree. Its common names include boobyalla and cockatoo bush. It belongs to the Scrophulariaceae family. Its native range covers southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Kew also records it on Lord Howe Island. It grows along seashores and in some inland sites. Coastal habitats include dunes, headlands, estuaries and mangrove edges. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

Plants For A Future gives a height of about 10 feet [3 metres]. The plant keeps its leaves through the year. Its flowers have both male and female organs. The fruit measures about a quarter-inch [6 millimetres] across. Reports differ on its taste and appeal. Some describe sweet, juicy flesh with an unwelcome smell. Others find the fruit salty and bitter. These mixed reports make it a poor choice for fruit alone.

Grow this shrub in sun rather than shade. It accepts sandy, loamy and clay soils with good drainage. It also grows in mildly acid, neutral and mildly alkaline ground. Dry or moist soil suits it, and it tolerates dry conditions. Salt spray and exposed coastal sites suit its tolerance of maritime weather. These traits make it useful for seaside hedges and screens. A sunny garden edge or south-facing wall offers other planting options.

Cold limits its use in British gardens. Plants For A Future lists USDA zones 8–11. It reports survival at 19°F [-7°C] in Australian gardens. That figure does not predict survival through a British winter. Cooler summers and longer, wetter winters can change the outcome. It grows outdoors on the Isles of Scilly. Elsewhere in Britain, it may need greenhouse shelter. Young plants may need extra winter protection. Sow seed under glass in spring, or take half-ripe cuttings in summer. Keep seedlings under glass through their first winter.

Beyond screening, the plant has reported resistance to fire. Its hard wood has uses in turning and cabinet work. Plants For A Future records no known medicinal use. It lists the fruit as edible raw or cooked, but advises caution. That source reports no documented toxicity for this species. This does not establish that eating it is safe.