Creeping Saltbush | Rhagodia spinescens
| Size of Plant: Low groundcover Edible Part: Leaves Suggested use in cooking: Mild, salty taste. Cooked like spinach or use as a seasoning Fun Fact: Loves salty soil and hugs the ground like a green blanket! Traditional Use: Its salty leaves were cooked and eaten, used as a natural salt substitute, or included in dishes like salads and breads. The red berries were used as a dye, for making a sweet tea, and for personal adornment/decoration. |
|---|
Old Man Saltbush | Atriplex nummularia
| Size of Plant: Medium shrub Edible Part: Leaves Suggested use in cooking: Earthy, salty taste. Wraps, stir-fry, seasoning. Fun Fact: Tough beachside plant that’s salty and proud! Traditional Use: Used by Indigenous Australians for food and medicine, while also serving as a windbreak, firebreak, and shade. The seeds were a food source, and the leaves could be eaten fresh or dried for use in various dishes. Medicinally, a decoction of the leaves and roots was used as a wash for skin abrasions. |
|---|
Warrigal Greens | Tetragonia tetragonioides
| Size of Plant: Groundcover Edible Part: Leaves Suggested use in cooking: Mild spinach like taste. Cooked like spinach. Fun Fact: Great in wraps or stir-fries — like salty spinach from the bush! Traditional Use: A spinach substitute since early European settlement, and a source of food in both Aboriginal and Maori cuisine. Medically, it has been used to combat scurvy, as a mild laxative, and in modern Korean medicine to treat digestive issues and inflammatory conditions. |
|---|
Mountain Pepper | Tasmannia lanceolata
| Size of Plant: Tall shrub Edible Part: Leaves Suggested use in cooking: Peppery spice Fun Fact: Its leaves give a spicy punch — it’s Aussie pepper! Tip: dry the leaves in air fryer. Traditional Use: Use by Indigenous Australians include using it as a culinary spice for food and as a medicine to treat various ailments like skin disorders, digestive issues, and colic. It was also used in spiritual and cleansing ceremonies. |
|---|
Native Ginger (Red) | Alpinia caerulea (Red)
| Size of Plant: Clumping plant Edible Part: Shoots, berries Suggested use in cooking: Zesty, tangy taste. Stir-fry. Fresh or Cooked. Fun Fact: Its bright red berries are juicy surprises hiding in the bush! Traditional Use: The traditional use was for food, crafting, and shelter, primarily by Aboriginal peoples. The berries were eaten for their sweet, lemony pulp to moisten the mouth during walks, while the roots and young shoots were used as a spicy, ginger-flavored ingredient in savory dishes. The plant’s large leaves were traditionally used to wrap food for cooking in earth ovens, to thatch shelters, and as a flavoring during cooking. |
|---|
Native Ginger | Alpinia caerulea
| Size of Plant: Clumping plant Edible Part: Shoots, berries Suggested use in cooking: Mild, ginger taste. Steamed or fresh Fun Fact: Tastes like a gentle ginger with edible shoots and fruit! Traditional Use: The traditional uses include food, medicine, and construction by Aboriginal peoples. The edible, tangy pulp around the blue fruits was eaten for hydration, while the fibrous rhizomes and young shoots were eaten as a ginger substitute. Large leaves were used to wrap food for cooking in earth ovens and for thatching shelters. |
|---|
Native River Mint | Mentha australis
| Size of Plant: Groundcover Edible Part: Leaves Suggested use in cooking: Minty, refreshing taste. Tea, sauces, garnish. Fun Fact: Smells amazing and makes minty teas — like bush chewing gum! Traditional Use: Was used by Aboriginal people as a medicinal herb, for food, and as an insect repellent. It was brewed into teas for coughs and colds, and its crushed leaves were sniffed to relieve headaches. The leaves were also used fresh or dried in cooking, and rubbed on the skin as an insect repellent. |
|---|
Home 