Local Plants

The following lists identify plants in the Randwick City Council area that were used by Aboriginal Australians for food, medicine and other purposes. Fruits, seeds, tubers and berries were eaten; sweet drinks were made from flower nectar and teas made from leaves. Some plants were used for making spears, tools, baskets and shelters. A selection of these plants is available from the nursery.

Food

*Single Plant Species
**Multiple Plant Species

^#Nectar drinks were made from flowers of many plant groups including Banskia, Grevillea, Hakea, Melaleuca, Kennedia and Callistemon. Flowers can be sucked or immersed in water for a sweet drink, or leaves from Leptospermum and Melaleuca species can be used for teas.

Species	Common Name	Use/Plant Part Used
Acacia longifolia	Sydney Golden Wattle	Seed, gum, grub
Acacia sophorae	Golden Wattle	Seed, gum
Acacia spp**	Wattle	Seeds ground for flour
Acmena smithii	Lilly Pilly	Fruit
Amyema spp**	Mistletoe	Fruit
Astroloma humisifum	Cranberry Heath	Fruit
Astroloma pinifolium	Cranberry	Fruit
Banksia ericifolia	Heath Banksia	Nectar^#
Banksia spp**	Banksia	Grub, nectar^#
Billiardiera scandens	Apple Berry / Dumplings	Fruit
Blechnum indicum	Bungwall fern	Rhizome
Burchardia umbellata	Milkmaids	Bulb
Caesia spp**	Grass Lily	Bulb
Callistemon spp**	Bottlebrush	Nectar^#
Calochilus spp**	Bearded Orchid	Tuber
Calytrix tetragona	Fringe Myrtle	Fruit
Carpobrotus glaucescens	Pig Face	Fruit
Cassytha sp*	Devil's Twine	Fruit
Cissus antartica	Native Grape	Fruit
Correa alba	White Correa	Greens
Cryptostylis spp**	Hooded Orchid	Tuber
Cyathea australis	Rough Tree Fern
Cymbopogn refractus	Barbed Wire Grass	Leaves
Dianella caerulea	Flax Lily	Fruit (including seeds), roots
Dianella revoluta	Flax Lily	Fruit
Diuris spp**	Double Tails	Tuber
Erodium crinitum	Heronsbill	Root
Eucalyptus spp**	Gum Tree	Nectar^#, seeds
Eucalyptus spp**	Gum Tree	Seeds ground for flour, flowers soaked for sweet drinks
Eustrephus latifolius	Wombat Berry	Tuber
Exocarpus cupressiformis	Native Cherry	Fruit
Ficus sp**	Fig	Fruit
Gahnia sieberiana	Saw Sedge	Leaf base, possibly seeds
Geitonoplesium cymosum	Scrambling Lily	Shoot
Glycine clandestina	Twining Love Creeper	Root
Glycine tabacina	Vanilla Love Creeper	Root
Grevillea spp**	Spider Flower	Nectar^#
Haemodorum corymbosum	Bloodroot	Root
Hydrocotyle bonariensis	Native cabbage	Leaves
Ipomoea spp**	Convolvulus	Root
Leucopogon lanceolatus	Lance Beard Heath	Fruit
Leucopogon parviflorus	Beard Heath	Fruit
Lomandra longifolia	Spiny-headed Mat Rush	Seeds ground into flour
Lomandra longifolia	Spiny-headed Mat Rush	Leaf bases edible, with pea-like flavour. Flowers also edible.
Lomandra spp**	Mat Rush	Leaf base, flowers
Lyperanthus suaveolens	Brown Beak Orchid	Tuber
Marsdenia suaveolens	Bush Banana	Whole plant
Melaleuca quinquinervia	Paperbark	Nectar^#
Microtis spp**	Onion Orchid	Tuber
Monotoca elliptica	Pigeon Berry / Broom Heath	Fruit
Myoporum sp*	Boobialla	Fruit
Patersonia glabrata	Native Flag	Rhizome
Pelargonium australe	Austral Stork's Bill	Root
Persoonia lanceolata	Lance-leaf Geebung	Fruit
Persoonia levis	Broad Leaf Geebung	Fruit
Phragmites australis	Native Reed	Greens - young stems
Pittosporum undulatum	Sweet Pittosporum	Ground seeds
Polyscias sambucifolia	Elderberry Panax	Fruit
Portulaca oleracea	Pigweed	Leaves and stems are edible raw and cooked. Seeds made into flour
Pteridium esculentum	Bracken fern	Rhizome
Pterostylis concinna	Trim Greenhood	Tuber
Rubus spp**	Blackberry	Fruit
Sarcocornia quinqueflora	Samphire	Stem
Scaevola calendulacea	Scented Fan Flower	Fruit
Smilax glyciphylla	Sarsparilla Vine	Fruit, leaf
Stypheila viridis	Five Corners	Fruit
Stypheila laeta	Five Corners	Fruit
Stypheila triflora	Five Corners	Fruit
Tetragonia tetragonoides	Warrigal Greens	Leaves
Thysanotus tuberosus	Common Fringed Lily	Root
Triglochin procerum	Water Ribbons	Root & Fruit
Typha spp**	Bullrush	Rhizome/roots, young shoots and flowers
Typha spp**	Bullrush	Pollen
Xanthorrhoea spp**	Grass Tree	Leaf bases, young flowers and shoots, grubs

Medicine

**Multiple Plant Species

Species	Common Name	Use/Plant Part Used
Acacia implexa	Hickory	Bark used to treat skin diseases
Carpobrotus glaucescens	Pigface	Eaten as a purgative
Corymbia gummifera	Red Bloodwood	Exudate used internally and applied externally in powdered form to treat sores
Crinum pedunculatum	Swamp Lily	Leaf juice rubbed on marine stings
Dodonaea triquetra	Hop Bush	Leaves chewed for toothache, used as a poultice for stonefish and stingray wounds. Liquid made from soaking the roots was used for open cuts and sores
Duboisia myoporides	Corkwood	Drunk as an intoxicant
Ficus rubiginosa	Port Jackson Fig	Milky sap used to cover wounds
Melaleuca quinquinervia	Paperbark	Leaves steeped for sore throats and used as a wash
Melaleuca spp**	Paperbark	All species of Melaleuca can be used to treat symptoms of colds, flu and sinusitis by inhaling the steam from boiling or burning the leaves
Pteridium esculentum	Bracken	Juice from young stems used against insect bites and stinging nettles
Smilax glyciphylla	Sarsparilla	Tea made from leaves drunk for stomach ache

Other uses

**Multiple Plant Species

Species	Common Name	Use/Plant Part Used
Acacia implexa	Hickory	Bark and/or leaves used in fishing
Acacia longifolia	Sydney Golden Wattle	Bark and/or leaves used in fishing
Acacia sophorae	Coastal Wattle	Liquid made from bark used for tanning skins
Casaurina glauca	Swamp Oak	Bark for canoe hulls
Cissus antartica	Kangaroo Grape	Rope for climbing
Corymbia gummifera	Red Bloodwood	Bark for canoe hulls
Corymbia gummifera	Red Bloodwood	Resin to soak fibres in for string-making
Dianella caerulea	Blue Flax Lily	Leaves used to make strong fibre
Duboisia myoporoides	Corkwood	Bark and/or leaves used in fishing
Eucalyptus botryoides	Bangalay	Bark for canoe hulls
Eucalyptus spp**	Gum Tree	Bark used for canoes, roofing material, torches, bowls. Wood for wooden dishes, digging sticks, clap sticks and clubs
Ficus rubiginosa	Port Jackson Fig	Inner bark used for twine to make dilly bags and fishing nets. Timber used for coolamons, shields and canoes
Kennedia	Running Postman	Stems used to lash canoe ends
Lomandra longifolia	Mat Rush	Leaves used for weaving bags and baskets
Lomandra multiflora	Many-flowered Mat Rush	Leaves used for weaving bags
Melaleuca styphelioides	Paperbark	Paperbark used for roofing materials, blankets, slings for babies, bowls and cups
Persicaria spp**	Knotweed	Bark and/or leaves used in fishing
Pimelea spp**	Rice Flower	Fibres on outside of stem used to make nets to catch bogong moths
Xanthorrhoea spp**	Grass Tree	Inflorescence scape used for spear shaft
Xanthorrhoea spp**	Grass Tree	Resin used for many purposes

Availability

Some of these plants are difficult to propagate and may not be available from Randwick City Council Community Nursery or other nurseries.

These lists do not include non-local species that may be planted here and used for food or other purposes (eg. Livistona australis and Austromyrtus dulcis) and may be available from the nursery. For further information please refer to the references listed below.

Advisory

These lists are presented for educational purposes and are only a guide. Some of the plants listed as foods require treatment to remove dangerous poisons and toxins before they can be eaten. Including plants on this list does not imply that Randwick City Council recommends these plants are to be eaten, ingested or consumed in any way. Likewise, the information provided here is not intended to be used to treat any medical conditions.

Randwick City Council does not endorse the collection of any native plants from natural areas. Any plants growing in national parks are protected by law, and no parts of plants, including seed lying on the ground, can be harvested or collected from national parks. Plants not inside national parks may still be protected by Threatened Species legislation. The collection of identified threatened species from national parks is an offence punishable by law.

References

Robinson, L. 1994. Field Guide to the Native Plants of Sydney, Kangaroo Press.
Association of Societies for Growing Australian Plants (7 May 2008).
Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney - Aboriginal Bush Foods (7 May 2008).
Smith, K and Smith, I. 1999. Grow Your Own Bushfoods, New Holland.
Stewart, K and Percival, B. 1997. Bush foods of New South Wales: a botanic record and an Aboriginal oral history, Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney.

Last Updated: 10 November 2022