In keeping with sustainable education at Croydon West Primary School, one of our gardens features plants traditionally used by Aborigines around Australia. Our indigenous people have a true understanding of living sustainably and caring for our environment to ensure habitats, animals and vegetation remain for future generations. We sourced plants which are used as a food source, for flavourings and for weaving. Our plantings have alsoencouraged a corridor of growth to encourage more bird life and we regularly have Rainbow Lorrikeets and Crimson Rosellas visiting this area.
Croydon West P.S. Bush Tucker Plant List 2010
Austromyrtus dulcis: Midyim: Brownish white edible berries
Backhousia citriodora: Lemon Myrtle: Leaves fresh or dried: oil extracted for lemon flavouring
Davidsonia pruriens: Davidson’s Plum: Large purple fruits very tart; usually used in jams, flavours, wines
Syzygium luehmannii: Small leafed Lilly Pilly; riberry: Fruits used for colour (red) or flavouring (nutmeg); OK pickled
Tetragonia tetragonoides: Warrigal Greens: Only leaves and young stems eaten after blanching (3mins.)
Dianella sp.: Dianella; Flax Lily: Fruits eaten
Acacia sp.:Wattle: Seeds used as coffee substitute, in flour mixes, cakes, sauces, ice cream
Citrus australasica: Native Lime: Fresh fruit, marmalade, flavouring for sweet and savoury etc.
Anthropodium strictum: Chocolate lily: Chocolate scented mauve flowers, edible tubers
Myoporum viscosum: Sticky Boobialla: Edible yellow fruits
Melaleuca spp; Paperbark: bark used to wrap fish etc for cooking
Grevillea Spp: Grevillea ‘Robyn Gordon’: Nectar can be sucked from the flowers or used to make drinks.
Dicksonia Antarctica: Soft Tree-fern: The soft, starchy pith from the top part (0.5m) is used. Eaten raw or roasted in ashes.
Acacia sp.:WattleSeeds:used as coffee substitute or ground up for flour
Lomandra longifolia:Spiny-headed Mat-rush:Women gather the smooth strap-shaped leaves from the water's edge to make baskets. They split each rush, tie them in bundles to be soaked allowing the fibres to become pliable for weaving.Eel traps were made of woven reeds.
Cordyline:Strappy leaves used to weave bags, baskets, nets and traps for containers, fishing and hunting
Carpobrotus glaucescens:Pig face:Steamed and eaten
Banksia: Nectar used. Dry cones were used by some Victorian Aboriginal groups used to strain their drinking water.
Billardiera Scandens:Apple berry: Spring/s summer fruiting apple flavoured berry.
Kunzea Pomifera prostrata: Muntries: Edible berries (blue) with an apple-like flavour, can be used for jams and pies
Microceris lanceolata: Yam daisy: Important staple Aboriginal food. Women dig the roots with digging sticks and then roast them in baskets in an earth oven.
Tasmannia lanceolata: Native pepper: Need both M and F for fruiting. Berries and leaves have a hot pepper flavour.
Juncus pallidus: Pale Rush: The stems of this and other rushes (Juncus species) are used for string and to weave baskets.
"It smells like grandma's lollies!" said one little student.
