Your Guide to Bush Tucker Gardens and Native Plants

YOUR GUIDE TO BUSH FOODS AND NATIVE GARDENS

BUDJARI GUMARRUWA! BUDYERI KAMARU! WARAMI WELLAMABAMI! Or Good Day! Hello! It is good to see you, wherever you have come from! in the Dharug, Eora and Dharawal languages.

Aboriginal people have lived in Australia for over 60,000 years and there were once over 500 different clan groups. A mistake that most people make about Aboriginal people is that their language, culture, traditions and beliefs are all the same.

In the area now known as Sydney there are about 29 different clan groups, referred collectively as the Eora Nation.

BUSH FOODS AND NATIVE GARDENS

Restaurants and home cooks alike are embracing native plant ingredients that have been used in Australia for countless generations.

The absolute beauty of native plants is that they are designed for our Aussie climate, so a bush tucker garden at your place is easier than you may think.

It may not be a case of planting a bush tucker garden that competes with your local farmer’s market, but by taking a look around your own backyard you can see where you can add a few new plants. Bush tucker gardens and native plants not only look and taste great, but they support native animals and valuable ecosystems.

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The Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land where the three Botanic Gardens are located. The Gadigal, Dharawal and Darug people.

With continued respect, traditional cultural practices and knowledge, the Garden hopes to create a shared and sustainable future for everyone to enjoy.

KARKALLA, BAIN (NOONGAR LANGUAGE), CARPOBROTUS GLAUCESCENS There are species of Pig Face found all over the world, and Australia is home to four native species. They can be found in all states except the Northern Territory. They grow in coastal areas, sandy and saline soils – they are very useful plants to prevent sand erosion.

The plant produces bright pink flowers in spring and summer. The flavour is described by some as a salty strawberry, kiwi fruit or salty apples. When the flower is pollinated and spent, the fruit will ripen, swell up and turn a deep red.

The thick, fleshy leaves can also be eaten – raw or cooked. Roasted leaves may be used as a salt substitute and the juice from the leaves can be used to soothe stings or burnt skin. The juice from the leaves can be mixed with water and used as a gargle for sore throats and mild bacterial infections of the mouth.

They are the perfect plant for ground cover but can grow in pots or gaps in your garden. Suitable for full-sun and well-drained soil, plus they will thrive without much care. They attract lizards, birds, bees and other insects.

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GRASS TREES, GULGADYA (GADIGAL LANGUAGE), XANTHORRHOEA

It is also waterproof and used to patch holes in Nawi’s and tan kangaroo skins. In the early 1800’s it was burnt in churches as incense because it has a nice smell. It was also used in Gulgadya is the Gadigal name for Grass tree or Xanthorrhoea sp. “Gadi” means “grass tree” and the manufacturing of gramophones (record players). The strenuous harvesting of the resin the suffix “gal” means “people”, so the Gadigal of this plant in South Australia has given rise to are the people of the grass tree. the Australian Slang word Hard Yakka.

It grows in sclerophyll forest on sandstone, This plant has also adapted to Australian usually on the drier, more exposed ridges and Bushfires and burning practices and requires hillsides; from the Sydney region to the Blue extreme heat to spread and disperse its seeds.

Mountains. It can be found on coastal heaths and wet or dry forests.

They can be planted in rockeries, landscaped gardens and containers. They are commonly From top to bottom, this plant has many uses and the Gadigal use many different parts of the used as architectural accent plants. Although they will tolerate part shade, they prefer full sun. plant.

This plant flowers during spring and its nectar can be collected from the long flowering spikes which can be soaked in water to make a sweet drink. The stalks from old flowers and fruits were traditionally used for tinder in making fire.

The tall brown stalks are long, light, and durable, and are used to make spear shafts - useful for fishing because they also float. The young stems were roasted and taste like celery. The soft bases of the young leaves were eaten while the tough leaves were used as knives.

People collected resin (use the example of tree sap if they have never heard of it before) from the base of the trunk of the tree, it used as an adhesive to bind tools and weapons together.

The resin is ground into a powder, heated over the fire to make it soft and malleable. It’s not malleable once it’s stuck to a surface it stays there forever.

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OLD MAN BANKSIA, WIRIYAGAN (GADIGAL LANGUAGE) BANKSIA SERRATA Wiriyagan is the Gadigal name for Banksia serrata or Old Man Banksia.

This member of the Proteaceae family grows in eastern Australia near the coast from Cooloola, QLD to Wilson’s promontory, Victoria and a small area of North Western Tasmania.

The flower stalk can be used as a hairbrush, or, if you remove the outside bristles, a paintbrush.

The large inflorescences produce nectar which was collected by shaking the branch and catching the nectar in a coolamon or soaking the flowers in water to make a sweet drink. This plant requires fire or long periods of dry heat to open and disperse its seeds.

These plants are adapted to phosphorus poor soils, so it is important to use low phosphorus fertiliser. They also benefit from a well-drained soil in a sunny spot.

They are commonly used for hedging or privacy screening. Prune after flowering to promote dense growth and colour. Once established they are frost hardy and drought tolerant plants.

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FINGER LIME, GULALUNG (BUNDJALUNG LANGUAGE), CITRUS AUSTRALASICA The fruit, which has become popular among chefs for its “superfood” status, is high in vitamin C and potassium, and they also contain some iron and calcium. It’s no wonder the pearls are also known as “caviar”!

The limes turn black when ripe and can be used for cooking or can be eaten as is.

Generally easy to grow, these plants can take a few years to fruit so be patient if you plant a young tree. They thrive in semi shade, slightly moist areas. As a thorny shrub or small tree, it provides protection for nesting birds. They are suitable for pots or as a hedge.

PAPERBARK, BUDJOR (DARUG LANGUAGE), MELALEUCA QUINQUENERVIA Also known as tea tree because the leaves darken the colour of water when submerged, the soft, flaky bark has many uses by the digal.

The outer layer can be soaked in water and wrapped around fish – by the time the bark is dry, removing the bark descales the fish! The inner layers of the bark have anti-septic properties and can be used as a bandage to promote healing.

The bark can also be used to make containers for food and water storage and mending holes in canoes. It can also be used to make Gunya’s (Shelters) or used as a raincoat to keep you dry.

These beautiful trees like a wet spot in the garden and can grow very big if given plenty of water. After establishment they are incredibly tough. You can often see them used as street trees around Sydney growing in very harsh environments.

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LILLY PILLIES, DAGUBA (GADIGAL LANGUAGE), SYZYGIUM Would you like a deliciously crisp, refreshing, and natural drink at your fingertips? Plant a lilly pilly. Lilly pillies are a popular native plant growing in gardens and used as street plantings across the country, however the tasty small fruits are underutilised, with cordial just one of numerous potential uses. Most commonly the fruits are used to make cordial, jams and jellies.

People often plant lilly pillies as a screening hedge or for their attractive foliage, flowers and fruit and there’s no shortage of varieties to choose from. The flavours vary from quite sour to sweet and the two species that are used most often for cooking are Syzygium luehmannii and Syzygium australe.

These plants prefer sheltered areas that are out of the all-day sunny spots in the garden. With regularly pruning it is a dense bushy plant with abundant flowers.

LILLY PILLY CORDIAL Ingredients 2 cups lilly pillies 4 cups water 1 teaspoon tartaric acid 2 cups sugar juice of 2 lemons Lemon myrtle leaves to taste (the basic recipe doesn’t include lemon myrtle and sometimes I substitute with sage or basil to add another element of flavour) Method Place all the ingredients into a saucepan, bring to the boil and boil for 5 minutes or until the lilly pillies are starting to soften.

Mash the fruit and pour the contents through a strainer, straining out the crushed pulp and seeds. Pour the liquid into sterilised bottles and use diluted with water to taste.

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Artwork by Darren Charlwood