Bush Foods

image: Bush Foods

Riberry

The small leaved lilly pilly or riberry produces masses of red pear shaped fruit. Mature trees can yield up to 80kg. The fruit exhibits a juicy but slightly acidic clove-like finish reminiscent of cinnamon. It is a very popular ingredient in wildfood dishes. Its handsome purple-red growth makes this lilly pilly one of the favourites.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Lilly Pilly - Bluey

Cutting grown selection of the tasty and attractive Blue Lilly Pilly fruit. The delicate fruit is aromatic with a sweetish slightly gingery or turpentine flavour. Fruit is a distinctive blue colour.

Screw Pine Pandanus

The spectacular large compound orange fruit has wedge-shaped segments with a fleshy portion with a strong fruity flavour - excellent for use in cooking. The fruit pulp is used to flavor fruit-based deserts and sweet sauces, and is also used in jams and chutneys. Fruit is high in beta-carotene and can help to prevent vitamin A deficiency. Seeds can also be eaten after roasting.

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.

Orange Berry

Native to Nth Qld, this relative of the Citrus family produces a small musk flavoured orange coloured fruit. Attractive bushfood plant for backyards in the subtropics.

Aniseed Myrtle

This stunning rainforest tree has strong aniseed scented leaves that make a delicious refreshing aniseed tea. The leaves are often used for flavouring desserts, sauces and preserves.

Midyim Berry

This shrub occurs naturally throughout the coastal areas of northern NSW and south east Qld. It produces pretty white flowers and an abundance of fruit. The soft pulp is described as being one of the most delicious of all bush foods.

Black Apple - Pouteria australis

A tall tree with a fluted trunk and bushfood potential. This tree produces a small apple-sized fruit that is eaten by rainforest mammals. The edible flesh is a rich red, however but not particularly tasty.

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.

Blue Lillypilly

Has a small tasty purple fruit and will bear in about 2 years. The fruit grows in clusters and are quite juicy and crunchy when fully ripe. A beautiful ornamental. Makes an excellent screen plant.

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.