Bush Tucker
Botanical Name: Acmena smithii
Common Name: Lily Pilly
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Fruit eaten raw or made into jam. Open moist
position/Full sun to semi-shade. Shrub 3-4m.
Botanical Name: Apium Prostratum
Common Name: Sea Celery
Edible Part: Leaf Stem
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible leaves and stems. Excellent in soups.
Perennial for a moist, sunny position. 30cm
Botanical Name: Araycarua Bidwillii
Common Name: Bunya Nut
Edible Part: Seed
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Much sought after seeds eaten raw, baked or
Boiled. Magnificent tree can reach 15 metres and
Beyond in cultivation. Very tough. Sun.
Botanical Name: Arthropodium milleflorum
Common Name: Pale Vanilla Lilly
Edible Part: Tuber
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Tubers crisp, white and bittersweet. Edible raw or
roasted. Herbaceous perennial to 30cm, dormant in
summer. Moist, well-drained, semi-shaded position
Botanical Name: Arthropodium minus
Common Name: Small Vanilla Lily
Edible Part: Tuber
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible tubers eaten raw or roasted. Herbaceous
perennial to 30cm, dormant in summer. Moist,
protected, semi-shaded position. Well-drained.
Botanical Name: Arthropodium strictum
Common Name: Chocolate Lily
Edible Part: Tuber
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Delectable chocolate scented flowers. Edible
tubers eaten raw or roasted. Herbaceous perennial
to 30cm, dormant in summer. Open, moist, well-
drained position. Full sun.
Botanical Name: Austromyrtus dulcis
Common Name: Midyim Berry
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
A beautiful edible fruit with a soft, sweet, slightly
Aromatic pulp that melts in the mouth. Shrub to 1.5m,
Spreading habit. Sun to part shade. Moist.
Botanical Name: Backhousia anisatum
Common Name: Aniseed Myrtle
Edible Part: Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Strong aniseed-scented leaf. Graceful tree 3-8m
Moist, semi-shaded position
Botanical Name: Backhousia citriodora
Common Name: Lemon Myrtle
Edible Part: Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Essential oil from the leaves provides an exquisite
Lemon scent. Used to make very fine tea. Leaves
Flavour fish dishes beautifully. Small tree 3-8m
Botanical Name: Backhousia Myrtifolia
Common Name: Grey Myrtle
Edible Part: Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Cinnamon scented leaves. Useful in teas and
Flavouring sweet dishes. Small hardy tree 3-7m
Moist, semi-shaded position
Botanical Name: Carprobrotus rossii
Common Name: Coastal Pigface, CUTWORT (Gippsland)
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Sweet edible glutinous fruit in summer. Hardy
Ground cover for an open, dry, well-drained
Position. Full sun.
Botanical Name: Coprosma quadrifida
Common Name: Prickly Currant Bush
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible sweet, slightly astringent fruit. Can be cooked
Hardy shrub to 2m. Protected, moist position.
Semi-shade. Best planted in a group
Botanical Name: Dianella longifolia
Common Name: Pale Flax Lily
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible berries when ripe. Tufted perennial for a
Protected, moist, well-drained position. Sun to Part shade
Botanical Name: Dianella revoluta
Common Name: Black-anther Flax Lily. MURMBAL (Lake Hindmarsh)
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible berries when ripe. Leaf fibre used to make cord
Baskets. Tufted perennial for a protected, moist, well
Drained position. Sun to part shade.
Botanical Name: Enchylaena tomentosa
Common Name: Ruby Saltbush
Edible Part: Fruit & Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible berries sweet though slightly salty. Edible
Leaf. Open, dry, well-rained position. Full sun.
Prostrate shrub to 1m wide.
Botanical Name: Eucalyptus gunnii
Common Name: Cider Gum
Edible Part: Sap
Uses/Cultural Notes:
The sap is reputed to an excellent substitute for
Maple syrup. Tree up to 25m. Requires moist soil. Sun
Botanical Name: Eupomatia Laurina
Common Name: Native Guava
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Aborigines ate the sticky sweet pulp coating the seeds.
Hardy evergreen shrub to 3m for a moist, semi-shaded
Position. Brilliant foliage colour.
Botanical Name: Kunezea Pomifera
Common Name: Muntries NGURP (Bunganditj)
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Delicious edible berries. Staple food for some
Aborigines. Makes excellent jams and tarts. Can
Be pounded, dried and stored. Woody creeper for a
Well-drained, sunny position.
Botanical Name: Leptospermum petersonii
Common Name: Lemon scented Tea-Tree
Edible Part: Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Fragrant leaves are used to make tea. Highly valued
For its essential oil content. Hardy shrub to 3m. Moist,
Well-drained position. Sun to part shade.
Botanical Name: Planchonella australis
Common Name: Black Apple - Black Plumb
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Fruit eaten fresh or preserved. Large tree up to 15m
In cultivation. Moist, semi-shaded position.
Botanical Name: Prostranthera ovalifolia
Common Name: Oval-Leaf Mint Bush
Edible Part: Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Minty flavoured leaves used in jams and jellies.
Hardy shrub to 2m. Moist position. Sun to part shade.
Botanical Name: Prostranthera rotundifolia
Common Name: Round-Leaf Mint Bush
Edible Part: Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Scented foliage used to flavour jams, jellies and biscuits.
Hardy shrub to 2m. Moist position. Sun to part shade.
Botanical Name: Sambucus gaudichaudina
Common Name: White Elderberry BURNE-BURNE (Lake Condah)
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible fleshy sweet, sometimes sour fruit. Herbaceous perennial
To 90cm. Dormant in winter. Moist, semi-shaded position.
Botanical Name: Santalum Acuminatum
Common Name: Quandon GUDI GUDI (Madi Madi)
Edible Part: Fruit Seed
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible seed and delightfully tart fruit, rich in vitamin C
Large shrub or small tree to 5m. Requires a host plant
Such as Myoporum. Open, dry, well-drained position. Full sun.
Botanical Name: Solanum laciniatum
Common Name: Large Kangaroo Apple MOOKITCH (Lake Condah)
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible fruit when ripe, poisonous when green. Hardy
Spreading shrub to 3m. Sheltered, moist, well-drained
Position. Semi-shade.
Botanical Name: Syzygium luehmannii
Common Name: Magenta Cherry
Edible Part: Fruit
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Fruit can be eat raw or made into jam. Tree 5 to10m.
Open moist position. Full sun to part shade.
Botanical Name: Tasmannian lanceolata
Common Name: Mountain Pepper
Edible Part: Fruit Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Sensational hot, spicy, edible leaf and berry. Use fresh
Or dried in savoury dishes. Shrub to 3m. Moist, well
Drained position. Semi-shade.
Botanical Name: Tetrogonia tetragonoides
Common Name: Warrigal Greens
Edible Part: Leaf
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible leaf, raw or cooked. Vigorous groundcover for
A moist, well-drained position. Sun to part shade.
Botanical Name: Triglochin procera
Common Name: Water Ribbons POL-AN-GO (Wathaurong)
Edible Part: Tuber
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible sweet crisp tuber, eaten raw or roasted.
Strap-like foliage grows in water 60cm deep.
Full sun to part shade
Botanical Name: Xanthorrhoea
Common Name: Small Grass Tree BAGGUP (Wurundjeri)
Edible Part: Leaf & Root
Uses/Cultural Notes:
Edible leaf and root when young. Flowers provide nectar.
Flower stems used as light spears. Open, dry, well drained
Position. Full Sun.
