Grow First Nations cultural food plants
Find out what and how to grow a range of First Nations food plants in your garden. CERES Nursery and Bookstore staff can help you identify and grow plants native to Australia.
First Nations cultural food plants are simply Australian native plants that have an edible component and are a great way to increase diversity in the range of food plants you can grow at home.
CERES Nursery and Bookstore stocks a range of First Nations food plants that can be grown in a typical backyard, in containers or even on a balcony. The addition of First Nations food plants will complement and enhance any backyard food production and are fun to experiment with in the kitchen. When selecting a native food plant, as with any other plant, it is important to consider the growth requirements of the plant as well as to consider how the food component of the plant will be used. Our experienced staff can help you choose the best plants for your situation. To help with your selection we have grouped some of our most popular plants into categories of use:
Lemon Myrtle The leaves provides an exquisite lemon scent and are used to make a delicious hot or cold tea. The leaves are also used to flavour fish dishes or can dried and ground to add to shortbread and cakes. The lemon myrtle is an ornamental small tree for a partly shaded protected position.
River Mint The strongly scented leaves of this hardy spreading mint can be used to make a tea for coughs, colds and stomach cramps. The leaves may also be rubbed on the skin as an insect repellent. A great plant for a damp, shady position.
Mountain Pepper With striking red stems this sensational shrub has a hot, spicy, edible leaf and a berry that can be used as pepper. Used fresh or dried in savoury dishes. An attractive shrub to 3m that needs a moist, well-drained position in semi-shade.
Warrigal Greens This vigorous groundcover is perfect for a moist, well-drained position. The plentiful deep green leaves are used blanched and added to any dish as a green vegetable. Sun to part shade.
Muntries This ornamental shrub has delicious dark red berries. Makes excellent jams and tarts. Can be pounded, dried and stored. Use in the garden as woody creeper for a well-drained, sunny position.
Midyim Berry A beautiful edible fruit with a soft, sweet, slightly aromatic pulp that melts in the mouth. An attractive shrub with plentiful white blossoms to 1.5m, spreading habit. Sun to part shade. Moist.
Yam Daisy / Murnong This herbaceous perennial produces a cheery bright yellow daisy flower and dies down to a tuber over summer. The tubers are edible tubers, raw or roasted. It likes an open, moist, well-drained position in full sun.
Bulbine Lily A herbaceous perennial with multiple stalks of bright yellow flowers and is dormant in summer. The edible bulb is high in calcium and iron and is eaten roasted.. Grows in a protected, moist, well-drained position in semi- shade.
Water Ribbons Edible sweet crisp tuber, eaten raw or roasted, likened to a water chestnut. Strap-like foliage grows in water 60cm deep. Sends up an attractive pale flower. Full sun to part shade.
Native Violet Sweet edible flower used fresh in salads. Creeping groundcover for a moist position in semi-shade.
Running Postman Flowers sucked to extract sweet nectar. Stems used as twine. Hardy spreading ground cover. Dry, well-drained position.Semi-shade.
Swamp Wattle / Wirilda Pods are edible when green. Edible seed. Moist position, full sun to semi-shade. Shrub 3-6m.
