Atherton ginger
Botanical name: Alpinia caerulea
Common name: Atherton ginger, Red Back Australian Ginger
Description: A flowering, moisture-loving perennial 2m high, 1m wide, suited to containers and round.
Soil/habitat: Moisture-loving perennial
Cultural use: A flavoursome and practical edible root, an excellent native substitute for ordinary ginger, usable in sweet and savoury dishes and to make ginger tea. Edible bright blue berries with a pleasant ginger citrus flavour. Seeds can be toxic. Other uses include thatch shelters, handicrafts and food wrappings for cooking.
Mangles Kangaroo Paw
Botanical name: Anigozanthos manglesii
Common name: Mangles Kangaroo Paw, Red and Green Kangaroo Paw
Noongar name: Kurulbrang, Nollamara, Yonga Marra, Knulbora
Description: Rhizomatous, perennial, herb, 0.2-1.1m high. Flowers are green & red from Aug to Nov.
Soil/habitat: White, yellow or grey sand, sandy loam.
Cultural use: The roots were eaten either raw or roasted in hot ashes. Sometimes roots were ground into a paste which was then formed into cakes and baked in hot ashes.
Buno
Botanical name: Beaufortia squarrosa
Common name: Sand Bottlebrush
Noongar name: Buno
Description: Shrub, 0.5-2m high, fruit 4-6mm long. Flowers are red-orange-yellow from Jan to May or Aug to Dec.
Soil/habitat: White, grey or yellow sand, sometimes over limestone, laterite. Sandplains, associated with winter-wet depressions.
Cultural uses: Flowers were a good source of nectar and were either sucked directly or the flowers were soaked in water to make a sweet drink.
Starflowers
Botanical name: Calytrix acutifolia
Common name: Starflowers
Description: Slender, open-branched shrub, to 2m high. Flowers are white/cream/yellow from April to December.
Soil/habitat: White to yellow sand, brown sandy clay, gravelly grey-brown loam, red loam, granite, laterite. Consolidated dunes, slopes, swampy ground, rock outcrops, breakaways.
Centella asiatica
Botanical name: Centella asiatica
Common name: Gotu Kola, Kodavan, Indian pennywort and Asiatic pennywort
Description: Creeping, stoloniferous perennial, herb, 0.05-0.4m high. Flowers are Pink/purple-red/white from Aug to Dec or Jan to Apr.
Soil/habitat: Often in winter-wet depressions.
Cultural uses: Leaves are edible either raw or steamed. Treats minor wounds and other conditions such as leprosy, lupus, varicose ulcers, eczema, psoriasis, diarrhoea, fever, amenorrhea, diseases of the female genito-urinary tract, relieves anxiety and improves cognition.
Darwinia
Botanical name: Darwinia citriodora prostrate seaspray
Common name: Darwinia
Description: Low mounding groundcover, 0.5-1m high, spreads up to 1m. Flowers are vivid orange-red, attracts honeyeaters, butterflies and bees.
Soil/habitat: Sandy, loamy well-drained soils.
Sword sedge
Botanical name: Lepidosperma gladiatum
Common name: Sword sedge
Description: Rhizomatous, tufted robust perennial, grass-like or herb (sedge), 0.5-3m high, clumps to 1.5m wide. Flowers are brown from Nov to Dec or Jan to May.
Soil/habitat: White, grey or calcareous sand, limestone, loam. Dunes, creeklines.
Regelia inops
Botanical name: Regelia inops
Common name: Regelia inops
Description: Erect, often spreading shrub, 0.75-2.5m high. Flowers pink-purple-blue in Jan or Mar or Jun or Oct to Dec.
Soil/habitat:Sandy soils. Winter-wet depressions, sandplains.
Thryptomene
Botanical name: Thryptomene saxicola
Common name: Thryptomene
Description: Compact, low growing shrub, 0.75 – 1.5m. Flowers are pink from May-Oct. Attracts bees, buttlerflies, other insects.
Soil/habitat:Well drained loamy, sandy loam, clay loam, potting mix.
Grass Tree
Botanical name: Xanthorrhoea brunonis
Common name: Grass Tree
Description: A low growing perennial grass tree, up to 1.5m high, trunk none or up to 0.1m, scape length 0.35-1.5m, spike length 0.1-0.3m. Flowers are white-cream from Oct to Dec.
Soil/habitat: Sand, sandy clay, laterite.
Sea Celery
Botanical Name: Apium annuum
Common name: Sea Celery
Description: This drought tolerant, frost tolerant plant loves the sun, grows between 30cm and 50cm high, up to 50cm wide.
Soil/habitat: Choose a soil or potting mix that drains easily and water well throughout the year.
Cultural uses: A flavoursome herb or vegetable, substitute for celery, adds salty notes to any dish as a garnish, finely chopped or in sprigs to flavour soups, salads and chicken and seafood dishes. Stems may be enjoyed fresh, or blanched to temper the strong flavours.
Old Man Saltbush
Botanical name: Atriplex nummularia
Common name: Old Man Saltbush
Noongar name: Purngep, Pining or Binga
Description: A woody shrub up to 3m high, grown in the ground or pots.
Soil/habitat: Tolerates drought, salinity and sandy soil in the wild, a rich and loamy, but free-draining soil.
Cultural use: Commonly used as a livestock grazing plant. The seeds and leaves are viable bush tucker, with the leaves salty in flavour and rich in protein, antioxidants and minerals. Enjoy leaves blanched, sautéed, wrapped around meat or fish, used in salads, or for stuffing poultry or dried as a herb or sprinkle.
Sea Rosemary
Botanical name: Olearia axillaris
Common name: Sea Rosemary, Wild Rosemary
Description: A bushy foliage bushfood plant with attractive silvery foliage, reaches 2m high. Cream-coloured flowers from Summer to late Autumn.
Soil/habitat: Prefers full sun and a light to medium well-drained soil. Salt tolerant and well-suited to coastal areas, as it’s resilient to strong winds and sandy soils with few nutrients. Does not tolerate extremely cold or wet conditions.
Cultural uses:Fragrant edible foliage with insect repelling properties. Can be used fresh and dried in a variety of savory and sweet dishes.
Youlk
Botanical name: Platysace deflexa
Common name: Ravensthorpe radish, Youlk
Description: Reaches 0.4m in height with a 1m diameter spread.
Soil/habitat: Thrives in dry conditions in nutrient-poor, sandy soils or part shade, in loamy soil. Water generously during Summer.
Cultural use:One of many edible bushfood roots in traditional cuisine, it holds special significance in Aboriginal culture as a marker of Indigenous identity, spirituality and connection to the land. Crisp apple-like texture, golden potato colour and hints of carrot and sweet eucalypt flavour, it makes a tasty ingredient for salads, stews, pies, gratin, cakes and other dishes.