(1/2) Bush Food Plants
(2/2) Bush Foods
Bush foods Australia
CategoryNo garden could require less maintenance but give more rewards than an Australian native Bushfood garden. Fruit, flowers, leaves and roots can be sweet or savoury, juicy or crisp. They can be eaten fresh out of hand or in salads.... Read More
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Finger Lime
Fruit Trees > Bush foods Australia > Finger Lime
Fruit Trees > Citrus Trees > Finger Lime
Microcitrus australasica
A delicate rainforest tree that naturally occurs as an understorey tree in SE Queensland and Northern NSW Australia. Finger Lime trees are erect trees growing up to 10 metres.
A delicate rainforest tree that naturally occurs as an understorey tree in SE Queensland and Northern NSW Australia. Finger Lime trees are erect trees growing up to 10 metres.
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Lilly Pilly
Fruit Trees > Bush foods Australia > Lilly Pilly
Syzygium sp
Australia boasts over 60 different varieties of lilly pillies all of which appear to be edible. They range from a small bush to a large tree and are well respected for their spectacular ornamental qualities. Their tastes vary quite markedly but all have a high pectin content and are well suited to preserving. The trees make excellent screens, windbreaks, bird attractants or garden ornamentals.
Australia boasts over 60 different varieties of lilly pillies all of which appear to be edible. They range from a small bush to a large tree and are well respected for their spectacular ornamental qualities. Their tastes vary quite markedly but all have a high pectin content and are well suited to preserving. The trees make excellent screens, windbreaks, bird attractants or garden ornamentals.
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Macadamia Nut Tree
Fruit Trees > Bush foods Australia > Macadamia Nut Tree
Fruit Trees > Nut Trees > Macadamia Nut Tree
Macadamia species
It isn't any wonder that the macadamia nut tree from Australia is regarded as the best quality nut in the world. The nuts are sweet and can be enjoyed eaten raw, roasted, fried, chocolate coated, candied, made into nut butters, biscuits, cakes and pies. They have a great crunchy texture. The two edible species M. tetraphylla (Northern NSW) and M. integrifolia(S.E. Qld) make up most of the commercial varieties below. Warning: Macadamia kernels are poisonous to dogs, even sometimes in small amounts, so keep them away from your canine friends.
It isn't any wonder that the macadamia nut tree from Australia is regarded as the best quality nut in the world. The nuts are sweet and can be enjoyed eaten raw, roasted, fried, chocolate coated, candied, made into nut butters, biscuits, cakes and pies. They have a great crunchy texture. The two edible species M. tetraphylla (Northern NSW) and M. integrifolia(S.E. Qld) make up most of the commercial varieties below. Warning: Macadamia kernels are poisonous to dogs, even sometimes in small amounts, so keep them away from your canine friends.
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Sandpaper Fig
Fruit Trees > Bush foods Australia > Sandpaper Fig
Ficus coronata
This small fig occurs along watercourses along the east coast of Australia. An attractive small tree with sandpapery leaves and edible fruit. Grows densely in full sun, less so in shade. Very good for stream bank stablilisation. The small figs are a tasty bush food and the leaves were used by Indigenour Australians to finish off their wooden tool.
This small fig occurs along watercourses along the east coast of Australia. An attractive small tree with sandpapery leaves and edible fruit. Grows densely in full sun, less so in shade. Very good for stream bank stablilisation. The small figs are a tasty bush food and the leaves were used by Indigenour Australians to finish off their wooden tool.
Bunya Nut
$19.95 ($4.90-$29.00 choose a size)
A handsome large tree for parks and gardens. This extraordinary bush food produces large edible nuts inside large cones. They are delicious roasted or pressure cooked. Then slice them and shuck the kernel and use in a wide range of recipes. The trees produce dense shade and are cold tolerant. A symmetrical pine suitable for container growing when young as they a slow growing to start. Trees take up to 15 years to produce the large cones, which ripen mid summer. No-one should stand or park under one of these at that time, as they fall from a height when ripe. These trees were and still are very important to the cultural practices of First Nations peoples of the East Coast especially southern Queensland, producing bumper harvests every 3 years, drawing peoples to the region to share.
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Candle Nut
$14.90 ($14.90-$29.00 choose a size)
A north Qld native, this large rainforest tree has a spreading crown of large leaves. The brown fruit envelopes the highly nutritious nuts WARNING: The nuts should not be eaten raw as the toxin in the oil can induce nausea and vomiting. They are delicious roasted. Commonly used in Indonesian dishes, curry pastes and as a meat tenderiser. The early settlers found that the high oil content of the nuts enabled them to burn with a smoky flame for up to 20 minutes.Weed Warning: This large rainforest tree is a north Qld native, however it is a very vigorous self seeder and can cause concern outside of its local area, producing an abundance of the brown fruit.
Buy 1+ @$14.90ea usually:$24.00ea
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Raspberry - Atherton
$14.90 ($14.90-$19.75 choose a size)
Native to the highlands of far North Queensland, this raspberry is a sweet red-orange berry that grows on an upright suckering, sprawling ground cover with cane-like stems. It is delicious eaten fresh. Their popularity means they are often on supermarket shelves. The taste is milder than the European raspberry. The plant is very resilient to warmer growing conditions and can produce up to 3 kg per plant. It does need some management so it won't take over the garden, grow it where the suckers can be mowed over, or alternatively grow it in a large pot.Weed Warning: Birds could transfer seed in Coastal Subtropical regions. Should not be an issue in colder and drier climates.
Buy 2+ @$14.90ea usually:$19.75ea
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Noni Fruit
$49.00 ($24.00-$49.00 choose a size)
Medicinally this odd looking, pungent fruit is said to cure everything from stone-fish wounds to digestive upsets to far more serious disease. A concoction from the bark, leaves, roots and fruit can be drunk. When ripe or overripe the skin of the fruit becomes almost translucent and the flesh turns soft to develop an unpleasant odour. The odour has led to nickname of the 'starvation fruit' due to the fact that you would have to be starving to eat it as a fresh fruit. Strictly tropical climate only. Noni will flower and fruit from under one year old with care and the right micro climate. So worth trying in pots.
Buy 1+ @$49.00ea usually:$59.00ea
Lilly Pilly - Rain Cherry
$18.75 ($7.50-$18.75 choose a size)
Attractive tree, masses of creamy-yellow flowers attract birds and are followed by bright pink-red fruits in profusion. They are edible and can be used in jams and preserves. Occurs as an understory tree in the rainforests of northern Australia, New Guinea and the Aru Islands.
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Kurrajong
$3.90 ($3.90-$17.90 choose a size)
Seeds can be eaten after roasting or ground into a flour. The tuberous root is nutritious with an agreeable taste. A hardy tree for drier sites frequently grown for shade or stock fodder and as street trees in inland towns. Trees have a straight stout trunk and produce cream flowers in spring. Indigenous Australians used the bark fibres to make rope and string, the wood was used for fire sticks. A common tree in drier rainforests of the east coast.
Buy 4+ @$3.90ea usually:$4.90ea
Peanut Tree
$19.90 ($4.90-$19.90 choose a size)
This tree produces leathery, boat-shaped pods that ripen throughout summer. They split open to display a beautiful, bright red interior that contains shiny, black, peanut-sized seeds which have a delicious, nutty flavour. It is a fast growing highly ornamental rainforest tree. Indigenous Australians ate the nuts both raw and roasted and used the fibrous bark to make nets.
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Orange Berry
$17.90 ($17.90-$29.00 choose a size)
Native to rainforest and vine thickets in tropical Australia to as far south as Bundaberg and spread into Asia this is an attractive small tree with tasty berries. Tiny white fragrant flowers are followed by small orange to pink juicy fruits that are sweet and honey flavoured with resinous overtones. Obviously related to the citrus family the foliage is glossy and aromatic. Perfect for use in a mixed screen or bush food garden the orange berry is also a host plant for the swallow tailed butterfly when the plant is young. Fruits make a delicious jam that taste similar to candied honey.
Pigface
$14.90
Native, edible, maroon berry with a strawberry and kiwifruit taste, and 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. Leaves are astringent, and can be used in pickles and other condiments. Pulped leaves can also be used externally to relieve sunburn and marine stings.The berry has very high mineral levels, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium.
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Wattle - Raspberry Jam
$14.90
Named for the strong aroma of the cut wood, this tree has many uses. Lovely flowering display in spring followed by edible seed in summer, useful resin and hardwood timber for tools. Native to south west WA, it is drought tolerant, prefers well draining soil, full sun, salt and frost, and attracts birds and insects. This tree is nitrogen fixing.
Buy 1+ @$14.90ea usually:$21.90ea
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Kangaroo Grass
$3.90 ($3.90-$4.90 choose a size)
Native grass found across the continent in grass and woodland areas. An attactive grass for border plantings and in native habitat gardens. First Nations people have harvested the seed for bread making for generations. Clumps can grow to a height of 1.5 m and respond well to pruning.
Buy 4+ @$3.90ea usually:$4.90ea
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Lime - Australian Desert Abundance PBR
$89.00
Selection of unique native Lime from inland Australia, with great flavour and zing. "Abundance" is an earlier ripening cultivar with outstanding adaptation to heat and cold from its natural habitat. Trees grow to only 2.5m. Plants are thorny to prevent herbivores from browsing but top-most branches out of their reach are thornless and these quality grafted plants are produced from these thornless upper branches. From flowering to fruiting is generally only 3 months, making this a great backyard plant. This plant has Plant Breeder's Rights over it.
Buy 1+ @$89.00ea usually:$99.00ea
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Winter Apple
$3.90 ($3.90-$17.90 choose a size)
A reliable ground cover for many areas. Well suited to a range of soils provided drainage is reasonable, and is best located in a sunny position. Severe frosts may damage the plant but it will often recover quickly once the weather warms up. The small flowers occur in the leaf axils and are usually pale mauve but white and blue forms are also found. The main flowering period is summer but spasmodic flowering may occur at other times. The fleshy fruits that appear in autumn are perhaps the most attractive feature of the plant. They are about 1cm in diameter, green in colour with pink or reddish tones.
Buy 4+ @$3.90ea usually:$4.90ea
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Native Currant
$14.90 ($4.90-$19.90 choose a size)
A bushy shrub producing edible fruits that can be used for jellies, jams and syrups. When fruiting it's a stunning plant with red to black fruit hanging in bunches. Frost free location for this bush food.In cultivation it will grow to a small height of 2-2.5m and would make a great hedging feature. Plants are dioecious, meaning they are either male or female, but people do report that females can produce fruit on their own.Our cutting grown product is experimental and has been taken from an as yet unsexed specimen, perfect for a flowering native shrub display.
Buy 2+ @$14.90ea usually:$19.90ea
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Wattle - Bramble
$3.40 ($3.40-$4.90 choose a size)
Native to arid regions this is a hardy plant and valuable as food and shelter for native animals. During flowering the spiky branches are covered in clusters of strongly scented yellow flowers. Fast growing and relatively short lived, it grows to about 5-6m and lives for 10 - 15 years. The protein rich seeds of this nitrogen fixing plant are edible and are used in breads as well as ground into flour. This is one of the main sources of culinary wattle seed, due to its large, flavourful seed
Buy 4+ @$3.40ea usually:$4.90ea
Ruby Saltbush
$9.75
A low growing perennial, drought and frost tolerant native bushfood with small succulent edible berries that range in colours of green, yellow and red. Grows in a variety of soils, preferring well drained, sandy soils.
Midyim - Copper Tops
$18.75 ($18.75-$23.90 choose a size)
A hardy spreading shrub with arching branches of green foliage and coppery new growth. It has masses of fluffy white flowers in late spring and early summer. The edible grey-white berries are delicious and are produced in autumn. At its best in a full sun to part shade spot, in moist but well drained soil. A tough plant that can withstand harsher conditions. responds well to pruning, which will encourage denser growth.
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White Kunzea
$14.75
Fine leaved, medium sized shrub, profusely bearing delicate white flowers through spring. Leaves are traditionally used as tea or strong spice for cooking. Prunes well and is adaptive to many soil types. It is well suited to gardens similar in climate to it's native East Coast range and regular trimming after flowering give the bush a more compact structure. Works well as a hedge or screen.
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Kakadu Plum - Grafted
$120.00
Grafted onto more cool tolerant rootstock, experimentally. Most parts of the tree are used as medicine by traditional custodians, including leaves. It is a tall slender tree to 10m with creamy flower spikes in early summer. Small yellow green olive-sized, plum-like fruits ripening in autumn. Have very high Vitamin C content, can be eaten raw or cooked. Flavour is sour with an astringent aftertaste. Traditionally used as a thirst quencher and snack. Widespread over the northern tropical woodlands. It also is used in the seafood industry to improve shelflife of prawns. Fruit contains oxalic acid so consume in moderation.
Lime - Australian Desert 'Standout' PBR
$99.00
Selection of unique native Lime from inland Australia, with great flavour and zing. "Standout" is a later ripening selection with large fruit and leaves. Desert Limes have outstanding adaptation to heat and cold from its natural habitat. Trees grow to only 2.5m. Plants are thorny to prevent herbivores from browsing but top-most branches out of their reach are thornless and these quality grafted plants are produced from these thornless upper branches. From flowering to fruiting is generally only 3 months, making this a great backyard plant. This plant has Plant Breeder's Rights over it.
Dwarf Finger Lime - Pink
$69.00
Pink fruiting finger lime grafted onto dwarfing Flying Dragon rootstock, making a great plant to grow in pots in small spaces.
Cape Gooseberry
$19.75 ($18.75-$19.75 choose a size)
The cape gooseberry is a low growing shrub with its bright orange berry enclosed in a pale brown parchment-like case called the Cape. The berry is the size of a cherry tomato is very aromatic and full of tiny seeds. They are delicious eaten straight from the Cape or made into gooseberry Jam. They can be added to salads, desserts and cooked dishes, they are delicious stewed with apples or dipped in chocolate. They can also be dried or used in savoury dishes with meats and seafood. The small cucumber beetle also enjoys feasting on the cape gooseberry although they munch only on the leaves. Hand pick any beetles that you see as they are capable of breeding into large numbers very quickly.Weed Warning: This old time favourite is very easy to grow. Birds and critters will enjoy its sweet fruit and it can be found growing in both native vegetation areas and occasionally in pasture areas. It is not a dominant weed but it can be somewhat of a nuisance when working to restore native vegetation areas. Native to South America
Lemon Myrtle
$18.75 ($18.75-$34.00 choose a size)
The Lemon Myrtle occurs naturally throughout coastal Qld rainforests. It is a spectacular ornamental tree due to both its appearance and the superb fragrance of its flowers and leaves. The leaves and flowers are used in sweet and savoury dishes or as a refreshing tea. However as boiling or baking often reduces the flavour. The leaves are best added to the recipe at the end of the cooking process and either left to steam with the lid on or made into a sauce or dressing. It is usually the older and fully hardened-off leaves that are harvested for use. Enthusiasts describe the distilled oil from this tree as 'more lemony than lemon' and its used extensively to scent confectionery, perfumes, aromatherapy oil and food flavourings.
(Discontinued) Native Raspberry - Peter's Thornless PBR
$34.95 ($27.00-$34.95 choose a size)
(Discontinued) Take a walk along forest margins or your local creek in eastern Australia, and you will come across Native Raspberries. This cultivar however is completely Thornless, and was selected by local Peter Hardwick. Being completely thornless, it is a pleasure to pick the fruit from its scrambling branches. Berries are bright red, sweet and juicy when well watered and grown with plenty of organic matter. The canes can produce fruit in as little as 6 months and respond well to fertiliser, compost and mulch. Vigorous and scrambling to 1.5m, with a suckering habit which is easily controlled with mowing, the plant is best staked to keep the fruit off the ground and keep it tidy. The leaves of native raspberry can also be used in tea and skin care products. A tea can be made from an infusion for 15 mins from up to six shoots of fresh native raspberry leaf in a teapot. The leaf can also be used as a dried herb. The flavour of the leaf is mildly herbaceous and astringent. It mixes well with other native teas like lemon myrtle and cinnamon myrtle. Research on the leaf of native raspberry shows that it contains beneficial plant compounds like pomolic acid, euscaphic acid, gallic acid and ellagic acid. This plant has Plant Breeder Rights and is not permitted to be propagated and sold for a commercial purpose.
Australian Round Lime
$49.00 ($29.00-$49.00 choose a size)
The round knobbly fruit, usually reaching 3.5-4 cm in diameter have a distinctive and recognisably citrus flavour, with a similar globular texture to the more commonly known Finger Lime. Also known as Dooja or Gympie lime. Occurs naturally on the fringe of lowland sub-tropical rainforests of southeast Qld, from Brisbane northwards. This slender tree can reach up to 15m in height and 6-8m in diameter with multiple trunks, making it the most vigorous of the native citrus. The round lime is suitable for including in cordials, sauces, marmalades and lime flavouring. The skin is very thick (up to 7mm) and has potential for culinary use, such as grating into spice pastes, or for candied peel and may also have potential for essential oil extraction.
Native Nutmeg
$39.00
Handsome, tropical rainforest tree with fruits that open to reveal the kernel encased in a bright red aril. Height from 8-12m, bird and butterfly attracting. The kernel can be ground to produce a subtle spice related to culinary Nutmeg. The aril can be dried and used as a native Mace. Plants are either male or female, so advisable to plant at least 3 to be sure of one female. Warning: Use spices from the nutmeg genus sparingly due to toxity in even moderate amounts.
Cinnamon Myrtle
$19.90 ($18.90-$19.90 choose a size)
The leaves have a pleasant spicy cinnamon-like aroma and flavour. The attractive flowers are creamy coloured and star shaped, produced en masse, followed by star-like capsules. The cinnamon myrtle is well suited to the home garden. The tree is adaptable to a broad range of conditions and different soil types. Cinnamon myrtle is suitable for full-sun and semi-shade situations, in open plantings or as a managed hedge. The tree is tolerant of light frosts. Leaves can be harvested as sprigs for use in cooking. Its used in savoury recipes, desserts, confectionery and herbal teas. Cinnamon myrtle can also be used in floristry.
Quandong - Desert
$59.00
Widely dispersed throughout the inland, dry woodland and central deserts of Australia, the species and its fruit are referred to as Quandong, one of our best known bush foods. Qunadong requires a host tree, as it is a hemi-parasite requiring macro-nutrients from the roots of host trees. The host should be surface rooted, evergreen, water storing, nutrient storing and with a high osmotic pressure. Olives, acacias and most Australian natives are supportive. Eucalytpus, conifers and citrus are not suitable hosts. The more trees and shrubs and groundcovers you have in your yard as host plants the happier the Santalum will be. Drought and salt tolerant. Suggested host plant - Myoporum parvifolium, Casuarina glauca "Cousin It". The flesh covers a unique, textured nut, the Quandong, and can be red or yellow. The flavour is tart and reminiscent of peach, apricot or rhubarb. Can be made into delicious jams and condiments.
Muntries
$29.00
Known as emu apples or native cranberries this is a low growing prostrate 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. Muntries can be grown on a trellis to make the fruits easier to pick. The prefer moderate to strong alkaline soil that is well drained.
Eucalyptus - Strawberry Gum
$21.00 ($9.75-$21.00 choose a size)
The leaves have a strong aroma somewhat reminiscent of passion fruit or strawberries, used for flavouring and perfumery. Prefers full-sun conditions and well-drained soil, tolerant of low soil fertility. Natural occurs in montane woodlands near Tenterfield NSW. Medium-sized tree up to 10 metres. The tree is frost tolerant down to -8C degrees. Strawberry gum is ideal for temperate conditions but can also grow in subtropical conditions. Leaves can be harvested as required. Harvesting the leaves for culinary use and cut-foliage can done individually or by pruning branches back by 60-80 cm. Regular light pruning also maintains a shorter tree and denser canopy more suited for backyard situations. Use: The strawberry gum has several uses due to the presence of essential oils in the leaf and has been harvested commercially for flavouring and perfumery since the 1980s. Strawberry gum leaf is used to enhance the flavour of cooked fruit dishes and in deserts spiced jams and confectionary to bring-out the classic berry flavour. The leaf is used fresh or dried and as a ground spice. It can also be used in native herb teas and carbonated beverages. The main ingredient methyl cinnamate which imparts a fruity aroma and flavour and composes of up to 98% of the essential oil with ocimene being the remainder at 2%. The oil yield is very high varying from 2-6% fresh weight. When distilling a natural solvent needs to be added to the still during distillation to prevent methyl cinnamate crystals clogging the still.
Midyim Berry- Blush
$21.90 ($21.90-$23.90 choose a size)
Edible bush food with pink blossoms. A low spreading shrub with dainty foliage developing a reddish shade in colder climates. The pretty pink tea tree like flowers are followed by sweet edible speckled berries. A very decorative ground cover or low hedge.
Cape York Turmeric
$24.00 ($19.75-$24.00 choose a size)
A beautiful, native turmeric the rhizomes of which are eaten roasted by First Nations people. Wide, pleated leaves grow to between 1 and 2m high, preferring shady habitat. Yellow flowers with striking pink bracts appear from November onwards.A plant adapted to the monsoonal tropics, so water well in summer and allow to become dry in the cool months.
Mountain Pepper- Female
$29.00
Female selection of this attractive, aromatic shrub growing 2-5m high, it has striking red stems. The leaf and berry are both dried and used as spice. Berries are sweet at first with an aromatic, peppery aftertaste. Plants are either male or female with the small black berries ripening on the female plants in the autumn. Native to rainforest gullies from Tasmania north to the Barrington Tops where it prefers a cool climate.
Aspen - Lemon
$29.00 ($29.00-$39.00 choose a size)
Small to medium sized rainforest tree bearing aromatic and acidic fruit used in the bushfood industry. Lemon aspen fruit has a grapefruit and lime like flavour, and is popular in beverages, sauces and confectionery.
Finger Lime - Rosebank Purple
$24.00 ($24.00-$59.00 choose a size)
A very popular fingerlime that has striking dark skin with vibrant purple pearls.Fruits have a sweet aftertaste after an initial sharpness. An upright and compact habit suited to backyards. Fruits have a long shelf life and they make an ideal garnish on desserts and lovingly crafted dishes. Prolific producer
Sandalwood - Australian
$27.00 ($19.90-$27.00 choose a size)
Native to the semi-arid areas in Southwest Australia. It is traded as sandalwood for it aromatic oil and timber. The tree is a hemi-parasite requiring macro-nutrients from roots of hosts. The host should be surface rooted, evergreen, water storing, nutrient storing and with a high osmotic pressure. Olives, acacias and most Australian natives are good. Eucalytpus, conifers and citrus are not suitable hosts. The more trees and shrubs and ground covers you have in your yard as host plants the happier the Santalum will be. The kernal inside the hard shell is edible. Drought and salt tolerant. Host plant - Myoporum parvifolium
Mountain Pepper - Male
$24.00
Male selection of this attractive, aromatic shrub growing 2- 5 m high, it has striking red stems. Plants are either male or female with the small black berries ripening on the female plants in the autumn. The leaf and berry are both dried and used as a spice. The berries are sweet first at first with a peppery aftertaste. Native to rainforest gullies from Tasmania north to the Barrington Tops where it prefers a cool climate.
Warrigal Greens - Native Spinach
$14.90 ($7.90-$14.90 choose a size)
An attractive scrambling, ground cover which enjoys semi-sun rich soil and a moist position. Once established, it will self seed prolifically. The thick leaf makes an excellent boiled spinach.
Burdekin Plum
$4.90 ($4.90-$19.75 choose a size)
This close relative of the Mango is a native tropical rainforest tree. The deep purple, fleshy, plum-like fruits need to be held for some days to soften and mellow before eating. The flavour then is reminiscent if a prune with a hint of a Davidson's Plum to finish.Early settlers (probably taught by First Australians) were known to bury them in the ground which had the effect of softening them and increasing palatability. The fruit can be eaten raw, or used in wines, jams and jellies. The Burdekin plum is exceptionally hardy and can cope with long dry periods once it is established. It does however prefer free draining soil and lots of sunshine to perform well. Trees are monoecious and will usually set on their own, however they will produce much better yields if they are plants in small clusters of 2-3 trees.
Fraser Island Apple
$17.90
Glossy-leaved, small native tree with yellow-gold, fleshy edible fruit that is crisp with a refreshingly lemony sweetness. Tolerant of salt spray and sand and very water efficient. Excellent bush food plant for coastal and inland areas. Good feed tree for butterflies, bees and birds, makes an excellent hedge.
Palm - Fan
$23.90 ($19.90-$23.90 choose a size)
Tropical native palm with striking, fan-shaped palm leaves, up to 2m in diameter. A single trunk supports the crown of bright green, almost round leaves, forming the sub canopy of North Qld rainforest. Endemic to the Wet Tropics, from Ingham to Cooktown, in rainforests and swamps. Prefers warm temperatures above 12C and high rainfall and humidity. Slow growing and tolerant of shade, and this is preferential when young. They prefer increasing light exposure as they grow. May make a beautiful indoor plant with care. Fruits are an important food source for Cassowaries during the wet season, when little else is available. For Aboriginal people, the trees are an important part of their cultural history, being used for food and shelter construction.
Finger Lime - Rosebank Red
$24.00 ($24.00-$49.00 choose a size)
A very popular dense growing, sweet variety similar in taste to tahitian lime and grapefruit. Red to maroon colour skin with light green to pink pearls. Fruiting may occur year round in warm climates. The zesty flavoured pearls of this finger lime are best used in desserts, salads, cocktails or with yogurt. The fruit has a long shelf life lasting many weeks in the fridge. The bushes will grow to be a dense screen so may be used in urban areas for privacy. Small Birds will happily find shelter amongst the protective prickly stems and branches. An excellent selection for gourmet gardens.
Palm - Walking Stick
$6.90 ($6.90-$24.75 choose a size)
This native miniature palm is found as an understorey throughout the subtropical rainforest's of Australia. Growth is very slow in it's initial stages but very worthwhile to nurture as it is very attractive as an indoor plant. Red fruits are edible, with a pleasant mild flavour and a slightly spicy aftertaste.
Native Lemongrass
$18.75
Cymbopogon ambiguus, or Australian lemon-scented grass, is a plant species in the family Poaceae. It has fragrant, bluish green grey leaves and fluffy seed heads. It is self-fertile. Cymbopogon ambiguus needs a sunny position. It can tolerate extreme dryness once established. Propagation is by division of clumps or from seed. Lemongrass can be grown in any soil and needs very little water. It grows to a height of 1.8 m. Do cut regularly for a luxuriant growth.
Native Pink Hibiscus
$18.75 ($4.90-$18.75 choose a size)
The flowers on this native Hibiscus are deep pink with a darker throat. They are borne on a small shrub to one metre. Both flowers and leaves are edible. Hibiscus flowers generally last only a day but continue to produce flowers over the summer and autumn. Tip pruning will promote bushy growth. Native Pink Hibiscus is widespread in tropical areas of Western Australia, Northern Territory and Queensland, but adaptable to cooler areas, and can tolerate light frost
Bush Tomato
$19.90
Ripe fruits dry on the bush to resemble brown raisins. Flavour profile is sweet and fruity with a spicy finish. Small shrub to 30cm found in central Australia, tolerating dry conditions and light frost. Has soft hairy silver leaves and purple star flowers. Spreads by suckers that will regrow when drought hits. Highly prized by traditional owners. Requires free draining acid to neutral soils
Murnong
$21.90 ($4.90-$21.90 choose a size)
Small bushfood plant producing edible, sweet, tuberous roots. It has strap like leaves and yellow daisy flowers to 40cm. The root is white and can be eaten raw or cooked. Once widespread across SE Australian grasslands , this perennial plant is now rarely found in the wild due to cultivation and grazing animal pressure. Grow your own in a loamy soil with regular water in full sun for best results. From midsummer, the tubers are forming beneath the clumps and are ready for harvest when the Autumn daisy flowers are forming.
Mount White Lime
$69.00 ($49.00-$69.00 choose a size)
Rare and thornless this native Australian lime resembles the fingerlime with it elongated finger-shaped fruits, but has broader leaves. Fruits are green skinned with greenish-white pulp. They have larger vesicles than fingerlimes and thicker skin with large oil glands like the round lime. Native to the foothills and upland rainforest of the Cape York Peninsula in Australia and Goodenough Island in Papua New Guinea. It grows in deciduous vine thickets as an under-storey shrub and has been recorded at a height of 15m. Due to its limited distribution, this species is now classified as rare and is protected.
Chocolate Lily
$19.90 ($19.75-$19.90 choose a size)
When harvested young, the tubers of this native lily are juicy and sweet. Flowers are lilac coloured with a chocolate scent and are also edible. Found in a range of habitats with lower rainfall across southern Australia. For best results, grow in a rich loamy medium.
Small Leaf Tamarind
$19.75 ($4.90-$24.00 choose a size)
The tasty tangy fruit are a refreshing treat eaten raw or can be used in chutneys and sauces. Striking fruit from which the bright red-coated seeds emerge. We stock seedlings and cutting grown trees that fruit early. Fruits in mid summer. This small evergreen tree can be expected to reach only 5-8m in an open garden environment providing a beautiful rich green and shady, spreading crown. Also makes a excellent specimen tub plant as a young tree. The first documentation of the Small Leaf Tamarind tree was in 1891. With only approximately 30 trees left remaining in the wild of Northern NSW this endangered species is attracting quite a bit of attention both amongst bush food enthusiasts and conservationists. A beautiful and easy to manage bush food tree.
Cedar Bay Cherry
$19.75 ($19.75-$19.75 choose a size)
The fruit is very decorative due to its bright orange-red colour. They are also delicious, with sweet, soft flesh. The shrubs are very slow growing so they are perfect for growing in ornamental pots. They fruit from a young age, starting in their first or second year. This delicious fruit shows great potential for the exotic fruit and bush food markets due to the high quality of the fruit. They grow well in sunny or shaded positions requiring well drained soil, extra water and fertiliser will help to speed up it growth a little. Warning This species is susceptible to Myrtle Rust (Puccinia psidiisl)It has been observed in the field with moderate to severe damage and will require ongoing treatment to control the rust. For more information follow this link. http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/plant/myrtle-rust
Native Leek
$15.90
An edible compact native, grown for its sweet starchy corm. Can be grown in gardens or containers. Prefers a sunny or lightly shaded position in moist soil. Corms are harvested after flowering when the plant dies back. It will reshoot the following Autumn if not harvested. Leaves are not for eating however seeds can be used in the kitchen for flavouring dishes.
Curry Myrtle
$19.90
The leaves have the sweet scent of curry, with eucalyptus overtones. Can be used fresh or dried or infused in oil. A shrub or small tree to 5 m with white flowers. Can be pruned to 2m. Native to rainforest of Qld and northern NSW
Atherton Oak
$19.75
A highly attractive tree native to the highlands of Far North Qld and up to Cape Tribulation. The blue fruits are up to 4cm long and contain a woody-shelled nut with a large, crunchy edible kernel. Ripe in spring. It is hardy outside of its natural range and will grow well in subtropical gardens that have enough space for a large, attractive specimen tree. A great canopy tree for Food Forest gardens
Pandanus - Native Screw Pine
$24.90 ($17.75-$24.90 choose a size)
The tough, inedible serrated leaves distinguish this Australian native, but the large Screw Pine fruits are used as pulp to flavour fruit-based desserts and sweet sauces, and is also used in jams and chutneys. Seeds can be eaten after roasting. Once known as breadfruit in early colonial Brisbane The leaf fiber is used traditionally to make string and in basketry. Leaf shoots and root tips are also used as traditional medicines. It is not to be confused with Pandanus amaryllifolius, used in Asian cooking. Screw Pine fruit is high in beta-carotene and can help to prevent vitamin A deficiency. Screw pine tree is a very ornamental plant, well suited to backyard gardens as a feature tree. A small tree up to 6 m in height and 6 m wide the leaves spiral out from the central growing shoot. It has unique aerial prop roots that emerge from the trunk to support the tree as it grows. Screw pine grows naturally by the sea, and is well adapted to seaside conditions. There are male and female trees, with only female trees producing the fruit. The entire fruit is about 25 cm across, and resembles a pineapple. Screw pine is adaptable to a range of situations, including sites away from the coast. Generally preferring frost free, full sun conditions and well-drained soils, avoid poorly drained soils. It can take up to 20 years for female trees to produce the fruit, but is well worth it as the tree is a spectacular ornamental. To ensure that there is female and male trees for pollination, plant at least three seedling trees, but planting a group of five is also ideal if you have the space. Screw pine can be subject to die-back from planthopper (Jamella australiae) insect infestation. However, Daleys Fruit Tree Nursery stock is free of this insect pest due to our distance from established coastal specimens.
Finger Lime - Green Beauty
$29.00 ($29.00-$49.00 choose a size)
A beautiful weeping fingerlime tree that has spotted green skinned fruits with a tart, tangy and slightly sweet pearls. Making an excellent feature tree the fruits are best in salads, seafoods, desserts and with avo! A high yielding variety that is fast growing and vigorous.
Wild Orange
$19.75 ($19.75-$24.00 choose a size)
Wild oranges are a tasty bush tucker food. Indigenous Australians made frequent use of it long before European arrival. It is green when unripe. When it ripens, it becomes soft and has a fragrant smell. The inside is yellow or orange. It is still commonly eaten in the desert today. Capparis mitchellii can grow up to six metres in height. The plant's flowers are large and coloured white or cream. It prefers sandy to clay loams but will grow on rocky hillsides. It is a host for the Caper White butterfly and is one of the preferred foods of the Spotted Bower Bird
Singleton Mint Bush
$17.90
An attractive native shrub with highly aromatic minty leaves. Flowers are deep mauve with a darker throat, appearing in Spring. Found in open woodlands on shallow and sandy soils as a small shrub to 1-4m. Regularly pruning will keep it bushy. The leaves can be used in small amounts, with care, as a tea or as a mint substitute The plant has a restricted range and is classified as Vulnerable in NSW.
Dwarf Plum Pine
$17.90 ($17.75-$17.90 choose a size)
Dwarf Plum Pine is a member of an ancient family of conifers called Podocarps. The fruit of this specimen is much like it's tall cousin the Plum Pine - Podocarpus elatus, where the fleshy, edible part is actually a swollen stem that holds the seed. The 'fruit' is sweet and refreshing with a jelly like texture. Dwarf Plum Pine is a medium shrub or small tree usually around 2m, with glossy leaves that end in a sharp point. The trees are dioecious, meaning male and female parts are on separate trees. It is best to plant at least 3 seedling to ensure there is the likelihood of at least one female. The tree is found in sheltered East Coast locations and gullies in adjacent ranges.
Zig Zag Vine
$29.00
Vigorous, fruiting vine of Australian east coast rainforest. A member of the custard apple family with small, orange fleshy fruits with a tangy, pleasant flavour, containing 2-3 seeds. Sometimes has the scent of oranges. This vine can be pruned to maintain a shrub habit in the open.
Kurrajong - Desert
$19.90
Bushfood plant producing seed used for roasting and baking damper, but also for its edible root. Attractive, lime green foliage and a rounded crown produces valuable shade in its hot arid environment. Adapted to the arid regions of WA, SA and the Northern Territory, it goes deciduous in the dry season of October to December, and can survive extended dry periods by dropping leaves whenever necessary. Small yellow flowers appear at this time. Water is stored in its roots surprisingly close to the surface and are relatively easy to dig as a food and water source. They are reported to taste like pear and have a coconut flesh-like consistency. The tree produces thick bark on its western facing trunk, enabling people to determine direction in a featureless landscape. Seed pods are ripe in summer and are smaller than other species of Brachychiton, but are still coated in the distinctive irritating hairs of the genus. These can be rubbed or lightly toasted off. Leaf shape varies in young plants, but mature leaves eventually are 3 lobed like the footprint of the emu. Can grow between 3-10m, as a bonsai, in temperate and tropical areas, in full sun or part shade as long as drainage is very good.
North Bauple Nut
$19.75
The mauve flowers of this tree are beautiful, hanging from the trunk and the branches, followed by striking bunches of red fruits. Beautiful foliage and burgundy new growth make it an ornamental specimen for gardens and rainforest plantings. Native to Far North Queensland, it is surprisingly adaptable, as it is able to tolerate light frosts. The nuts have been known to be eaten but may contain small amounts of cyanide so caution should be exercised
Native Currant - Black
$19.90 ($4.90-$19.90 choose a size)
Ripe fruit are sweet with a little tang, turning dark purple to black on this native shrub. It prefers warm temperatures and good rainfall, with a natural range from Northern Australia into SE Asia. The fruit can be eaten fresh, dried or pickled. Plants are dioecious, meaning male and female plants are need to set fruit.
Millaa Millaa Vine
$19.90
Fragrant flowers precede bright red, edible berries on this climbing native plant. The fruit has a sweet, tangy flavour and is very high in lycopene and suited to savoury and sweet dishes. Sometimes a scrambling shrub form in coastal rainforests up to 1500m, from north of Brisbane to Far North Qld and into the Malay archipelago. Leaves have a silvery underside with speckled upper surface and flowers in spring, making it a haven for beneficial insects. Ripens from summer through to Autumn
Bottle Tree - Broad-leaved
$17.90 ($4.90-$17.90 choose a size)
A striking feature tree with the familiar swollen trunk of its cousin, having broad leaves and small enough for backyards with non-invasive roots. Long lived, semi deciduous, this tree originates in NW Qld, where it's found throughout the Brigalow Belt.
Plum Pine - Female Cutting
$19.90
Cutting grown Female plants will enable the earlier harvest of these Australian rainforest fruits. The trees bear seed on swollen edible stalks - which is the 'plum'. The seeds get darker the riper they are. The purple 'fruit' are grape like with a sweet, juicy, soft jelly-like 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. A male will most likely be required, but anecdotal reports do exist of lone females producing fruit.
Native Wampee - Gregs
$14.75 ($4.95-$14.90 choose a size)
An evergreen shrub to 6m, native to eastern Australia where it is very rare. Leaves are lemon scented when crushed and form a dense canopy of shiny green foliage, white showy flowers followed by very attractive edible pale pinkish-white fruits.
Kangaroo Apple
$4.90
An attractive small shrub with purple flowers, that are follow by bright orange to red fruits that are edible when fully ripe, but caution should be taken with them as they are poisonous when green. It gets its name from the shape of the lobed leaves which resemble the shape of a kangaroo foot. Found on rainforest margins, it makes an excellent pioneer. Kangaroo apple also make a good rootstock for grafting other solanums onto such as eggplants and tamarillos.
Native Rosella
$4.90 ($4.90-$14.75 choose a size)
Hibiscus heterophyllus is a tall erect shrub. The flowers may be white, pale pink or yellow with a large crimson central flute and are up to about 15 cm across. The leaves are either narrow, broader or deeply lobed, up to 15 cm long. 6m. Unlike Rosella the Native rosella has no edible calyx however the flowers and leaves are still edible. It is also used to make rope.
Native Ginger - Wavy Leaf
$4.90
Distinguished by glossy, dark green leaves with wavy margins. Pink flowers are followed by deep blue capsules with many seeds each with a thin pleasant tasting fleshy aril surrounding it. Attractive addition to native planting or food forest. Fresh pink rhizome is edible and the leaves are used to wrap food. Native to Queensland and NSW where it is an understorey plant of coastal wet schlerophyll and rainforests.
Climbing Pandan
$19.90
Found in the moist forests of the Queensland coast, from the far north eastern corner of NSW to Cape York. Where penetrating light allows it forms dense columns where it can obscure the trunk of its supporting tree. The spiralling leaves with their prickly edges overlap at the leaf base, older branching stems are naked with wirey clinging roots which attached themselves to the supporting tree as this pandan climps into the canopy seeking out light. The bright red fruits are both attractive and the flesh is edible but with the typical pandan sting to them.
Little Gooseberry Tree
$19.90
Native evergreen tree with glossy foliage and attractive bronze red new growth. It has small, pleasant tasting globular fruit, up to 1cm across, that darken to red purple-black when ripe. Attractive floral display. Flowers and fruits loved by birds. Dark, glossy foliage with attractive, bronze red new growth. Grows in North Australia into SE Asia and the Western Pacific.
Johnstone River Almond
$19.75
Large attractive rainforest tree with edible kernals. Fruit approx 3cm across. Native to Nth Qld from sea level to 1000m.
Black Plum
$4.90 ($4.90-$18.75 choose a size)
Shrub or small tree whose leaves are dark green on the upper surface and yellowish below. Small yellow flowers are followed by shiny black berries for the birds in late summer and autumn. 4 to 10m
Pale Vanilla Lily
$19.75
Native strap-leaved plant with vanilla scented flowers. Produces edible tubers, tasting sweet when young and can be eaten raw or roasted. Wide ranging across south eastern Australia thriving in well drained sandy or volcanic soils. Tubers are 3-4cm long and form 15cm or so underground. Flowers occur in spring and are also edible. Dies back in late summer, re emerging in Autumn. Mass plant for best effect.
Pencil Yam
$19.75
Slender vine with distinctive arrowhead to heartshaped leaves. Tubers are edible, when young as a raw food and when mature, better cooked. Tubers are slender, pencil thickness and can be buried quite deep, to 30cm. The distinctive seed pods of the female vine are an attractive feature. Will tolerate the deep shade of a forest floor but also full sun. Try growing them in a deep pot to make harvest easier
Native Crabapple
$4.90
Handsome, dark green, dense rainforest tree canopy, with white fruits that are juicy and edible.They are 12-17mm wide, may be eaten raw or cooked into jams. Loved by rainforest pigeons. It is a spreading tree when grown in the open. New growth is a pretty light pink to green. Range extends from southern NSW, often in coachwood forests, to the rainforests of Fraser Island.
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Dwarf Macadamia - A16
$49.00 ($19.75-$74.00 choose a size)
An Australian selection that shows dwarfing tendencies. High yielder, excellent nut quality. Slow growing and wind tolerant. Med - large nut and high kernal recovery. A semi-dwarfing small, compact tree.
Macadamia - 246
$59.00 ($49.00-$59.00 choose a size)
A Hawaiian variety also known as Keauhou. It is a large tree with a spreading growth habit and a dense canopy. The good quality nuts medium to large.
Macadamia - A4
$39.00 ($19.75-$49.00 choose a size)
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.
Bunya Nut
$19.95 ($4.90-$29.00 choose a size)
A handsome large tree for parks and gardens. This extraordinary bush food produces large edible nuts inside large cones. They are delicious roasted or pressure cooked. Then slice them and shuck the kernel and use in a wide range of recipes. The trees produce dense shade and are cold tolerant. A symmetrical pine suitable for container growing when young as they a slow growing to start. Trees take up to 15 years to produce the large cones, which ripen mid summer. No-one should stand or park under one of these at that time, as they fall from a height when ripe. These trees were and still are very important to the cultural practices of First Nations peoples of the East Coast especially southern Queensland, producing bumper harvests every 3 years, drawing peoples to the region to share.
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Candle Nut
$14.90 ($14.90-$29.00 choose a size)
A north Qld native, this large rainforest tree has a spreading crown of large leaves. The brown fruit envelopes the highly nutritious nuts WARNING: The nuts should not be eaten raw as the toxin in the oil can induce nausea and vomiting. They are delicious roasted. Commonly used in Indonesian dishes, curry pastes and as a meat tenderiser. The early settlers found that the high oil content of the nuts enabled them to burn with a smoky flame for up to 20 minutes.Weed Warning: This large rainforest tree is a north Qld native, however it is a very vigorous self seeder and can cause concern outside of its local area, producing an abundance of the brown fruit.
Buy 1+ @$14.90ea usually:$24.00ea
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Lilly Pilly - Riberry
$3.75 ($3.75-$19.90 choose a size)
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 as an Edible Hedge. The fruit exhibits a juicy but slightly acidic finish. Which is reminiscent of cinnamon and cloves. It is a very popular ingredient in wild-food dishes.
Buy 4+ @$3.75ea usually:$4.90ea
Macadamia - 344
$59.00 ($49.00-$59.00 choose a size)
The 344 was selected early in the 20th Century by breeders in Hawaii, hence its other name Kau. It is an upright tree with a dense canopy which has better wind resistance than other varieties. An old variety with good quality nuts and adaptability to a wide range of climates. Early season cropping.
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Gumbi Gumbi
$17.90 ($3.40-$18.75 choose a size)
This drought hardy tree has a weeping appearance with long and slender leaves to 10cm. The fruit changes from green to yellow/orange when ripe splits open with red sticky seeds. Great for an informal native hedge. Traditional medicinal uses: An infusion of the seeds, fruit pulp, leaves or wood was ingested for the relief of pain and cramps. Decoction of the fruits was drunk and applied for eczema. Bush medicine, for colds, cramps, itching. Seeds ground for flour. Gumbi Gumbi is resistant to both drought and frost, and grows in a wide variety of soil types, from heavy clay to mostly sand. But for best results in a home garden, choose a well-drained loamy soil or potting mix, located in full sun, and water well throughout the dry season.
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Finger Lime - Collette
$79.00 ($34.00-$79.00 choose a size)
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 50mm x 25mm. It is a mid to late season variety but bears fruit all year round.
Davidson Plum NSW
$19.75 ($4.90-$24.75 choose a size)
An outstanding small tree that prefers warm conditions and some shade. The sour purple fruits have bright red flesh that makes excellent jam. Davidsonia jerseyana is the southern form, it fruits in the summer months and is generally a smaller plant than the northern Davidsonia pruriens. The fruit form on the trunk of the tree and it is striking in full fruit.
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Customer Tips & Reviews Bush foods Australia
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Krawarree, New South Wales, Australia
Bush foods Australia
Hi....what a wonderful summary of Australian fruits and nuts. Best I've seen
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Roseneath, Queensland, Australia, Australia
Bush foods Australia
Wow couldnt wait to share this site it is just so inspiring
