Bush Foods

image: Bush Foods
Australia is famous for Bush Tucker. The range is great and the uses are even more. It is our privilege and part of our heritage to be growing and therefore promoting these plants.

Sterculia quadrifidia - Peanut Tree

A handsome compact tree reaching 5-10m, with spectacular seed pod - fire engine red lining with deep black edible peanut flavoured nuts. The tree will ususally fruit within 2-3 years. Semi deciduous in the subtropical climates.

Diploglottis campbellii - Small leaf tamarind

Listed as endandered in its native habit, this very attractive tree will capture the eye with its interesting red coloured fruit in summer. The tasty tangy fruit is a refreshing treat eaten raw or it can be used creatively in chutneys and sauces.

Clausena brevistyla - Native Wampee

An uncommon attractive shrub native to Sth Qld and NSW. Growing to 3-7m, it produces masses of small white flowers followed by a sweet aromatic edible fruit, the aftertaste is a little like the taste of orange peel. The flowers are attractive to butterflies and it is the host for numerous papilionid catterpillars.

Walking Stick Palm

This native miniature palm is found as an uderstorey throughout the subtropical rainforests of Australia. Growth is very slow in it's initial stages but very worthwhile to nuture as it is very attractive as an indoor plant. Orange fruits are edible.

Macadamia - Bush Nut

Native macadamia nut to northern NSW. More cold hardy than Macadamia integrifolia, prickly leaf, pink new growth. Endangered in its native habit

Plum pine or Brown Pine

Attractive rainforest pine that bears greenish seeds on swollen edible stalks. The purple fruit are grape like with a sweet juicy pulp with a subtle plum flavour. The slightly resinous fruit can be used for both sweet and savoury recipes. It is an attractive hedge due to its contrasting dark and lime green foliage. The timber is popular as a cabinet making

Acronychia oblongifolia - Common Acronychia

A small to medium rainforest tree with striking bright white fruit that is produced during autumn and winter. A good food source for birds and can be eaten by humans, although they are quite acid. The leaves emit a pleasant smell when crushed. 12m

Bunya Nut

A very large majestic tree with a straight trunk, large prickly leaves and separate male and female flowers. The 10kg female cones contain delicious edible nuts that can be eaten raw or boiled to make extraction from the hard shell easier.

Araucaria bidwilli - Bunya Pine

Handsome large tree for parks and gardens. Has large edible nuts and is cold tolerant. A symmetrical pine suitable for container growing. Full sun.

NULLY PIGFACE - Belongil

Edible maroon berry with very high mineral levels. It has a strawberry and kiwifruit taste, with a slightly salty edge. The fruit is typically eaten by squeezing and sucking the succulent pulp into the mouth, with the astringent skin being discarded. The fruit keeps well and makes an attractive garnish, and can be used in preserved foods like chutney.

Noni Fruit

Also known as Indian Mulberry. Medium sized fruit with knobby yellow-green segments. Flesh is usually milky white, juicy, with a fetid odor. The noni has a long list of scientifically documented and undocumented medicinal benefits.

Davidson Plum - NSW

An Australian native rainforest species that produces a rather large plum like fruit with a brilliant red pulp, rather sour but delicious when made into jam or wine. Native to northern NSW.

Davidsons Plum - QLD

Outstanding small tree for warm position or indoors. Large pinnate leaves & many-trunked habit make it a striking specimen plant. The edible purple fruits make excellent jam. Prefers some shade. Native to North QLD and SE QLD rainforests.

Finger Lime - Ricks Red

Purplish red skin, with Red flesh selecion. The juicy cells, similar in appearance to caviar, are a delightful surprise in salad dressings. A rainforest tree that naturally occurs as an understorey tree in SE Queensland and Northern NSW.

Sandpaper fig - Birds Eye

A outstanding selection of the native Sandpaper fig. Large, flavoursome, red fleshed fig. Heavy cropping and no splitting in wet weather. Ideal fig selection for wet coastal areas.

Muntries

Known as emu apples or native cranberries this is a low growing shrub found on the south coast of Australia. When ripe the berries are green with a red tinge and have the flavour of spicy apples.

Small Leaf Tamarind

This evergreen tree can be expected to reach 7-8m in an open garden environment providing a beautiful rich green spreading crown. As a mature tree will capture the eye with its interesting fruit from which the bright red-coated seeds emerge in mid summer. The tasty tangy fruit is a refreshing treat eaten raw or it can be used creatively in chutneys and sauces.

Syzygium luehmanii - Riberry

The small leaved lilly pilly produces masses of red pear shaped fruit. Its handsome purple-red growth makes this lilly pilly one of the favourites. The fruit exhibits a juicy but slightly acidic clove-like finish reminiscent of cinnamon. It is a very popular ingredient in wildfood dishes.

Macadamia - A38

A vigorous and precocious upright tree that produces a high yield per hectare. With a medium-large kernel (2.5-3.0gr) and a medium-high kernel recovery (38%-40%). Well suited to high density planting. An Australian Hidden Valley selection.

Tamarind Native

This slender tree is crowned with large velvety leaves when young. The fruit is yellow-brown and hairy. The flesh is a yellow-orange colour, is sour but pleasant, and has been used in making jams and refreshing drinks. Bird attracting.

Macadamia - A4

A very precocious tree that can produce commercial yields in three years. A medium spreading tree with an open canopy. Mid season fall. Susceptible to stress from high temperatures, performs well in NSW and cooler regions. Needs extra fertilizer to compensate for its early cropping ability. Can be susceptible to wind damage.

Finger Lime - Wauchope

A dark skinned variety with purplish black skin, the juice vesicles range from clear to having a pinkish blush. Good flavour

Burdekin Plum

This close relative of the Mango is a native tropical rainforest tree. The deep purple edible plum-like fruits need to be held for some days to soften and mellow. Exceptional hardy and can cope with long dry periods once it is established.

Finger Lime - Grafted

Finger lime A long narrow fruit with thin skin that ranges in colour from green, yellow, purple and red. The fruit contains an acid juice similar to that of a lime. A delicate rainforest tree that offers a distinctive citrus flavour to sweet or savoury dishes. The juicy cells, similar in appearance to caviar, are a delightful surprise in salad dressings. A rainforest tree that naturally occurs as an understorey tree in SE Queensland and Northern NSW.

Dwarf Macadamia

A dwarf Macadamia selection, growing to only about half normal size. Precocious bearer of small sized nuts. Ideal for pots or limited space.

Diploglottis australis - Native Tamarind

This slender tree is crowned with large velvety leaves when young. The fruit of Native Tamarind is yellow-brown and hairy. The flesh is a yellow-orange colour, is sour but pleasant, and has been used in making jams. Bird attracting.

Finger Lime - Collette

Flavour is highly aromatic and has been rated as “superior” by Chefs. Fruit is highly ornamental, with its shiny black skin and as a cut fruit, as it has a dark lime green pulp. Displays well as a garnish, with the juice vesicles popping out on cutting and the fruit splitting open wide. Its wide shape facilitates scooping out the pulp with a teaspoon. Rind colour is black/purple at optimum maturity and pulp colour is a dark yellow/green. Mean fruit size is 90mm x 26mm. It is a mid to late season variety but bears fruit all year round.

Narrow-leaved gardenia

Gorgeous scented flowers, and ornamental fruit and flowers make this an attractive small shrub for any bush food garden. The fruit often appear in large numbers in the winter. The sweet pink pulp with a bitter after taste surrounds the hard cream coloured seeds. Slow growing.

Sandpaper fig

This small fig occurs along watercourses in Rainforest and open areas. An attractive tree with sandpapery leaves and edible fruit. Grows densely in full sun, less so in shade. Very good for stream bank stablilisation.

Powderpuff Lilly Pilly

Small to medium pendulous shrub to 3m high. New foliage is a very attractive bright pink. Flowers are large and crimson occuring in large fluffy heads.

Australian Round Lime

Also called Dooja occurs naturally in the areas just outside the rainforest canopy. Its fruits are rough skinned and globular, but quite edible when still green, even though they turn yellow on the tree.