Garden Bed 4

Botanical name: Alyxia buxifolia

Common name: Dysentry bush

Description: Erect to spreading shrub, 1.5m high. Flowers are white from October to November.

Soil/habitat: Coastal dunes and limestone.

Botanical name: Acacia Iasiocarpa

Noongar name: Panjang or Pajang

Description: Shrub, 0.15-1.5m high. Flowers are yellow from May to Oct.

Soil/habitat: Variety of soils, laterite. Winter wet areas, swamps, coastal dunes.

Cultural use: Seeds pounded to make flour, which was then used to make damper.

Botanical name: Atriplex cinerea

Common name: Coast Saltbush

Description: Erect to spreading shrub. Flowers are cream-yellow/other from Sep to Oct or Dec.

Soil/habitat: Saline sand. Coastal areas, limestone cliffs, salt lakes, sand dunes.

Cultural use:  Leaves can be blanched or boiled and eaten as a vegetable (eg spinach)

Botanical name: Enchylaena tomentosa

Common name: Ruby Salt Bush

Description: Prostrate to erect shrub, 0.1-0.6m high. Flowers from May to Sep.

Soil/habitat: Variety of soils, often saline.

Cultural use:  Button shaped berries are red when ripe. Eaten as a fresh snack food or dried and soaked in water and reconstituted later. The fruits have a black stone inside that is edible. Leaves can be boiled or steamed and eaten.

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.

Botanical name: Myoporum insulare

Common name: Coastal Boobialla, Native Juniper

Noongar name: Boobiala

Description: Dense, low spreading or erect shrub or tree (occasionally), 0.25m-5m high. Flowers are white from Jul to Dec or Jan to Feb.

Soil/habitat: White/grey sand. Coastal dunes and limestone.

Cultural use: Fruits are edible when ripe (bitter and salty).

Botanical name: Oleria axillaris

Common name: Coastal Daisybush

Description: Erect, much-branched shrub, 0.2-3m high. Flowers are white-cream-yellow from Jan to Jul or Nov to Dec.

Soil/habitat: White/grey or red sand, loam. Coastal limestone & sand dunes, rocky hillsides.

Botanical name: Templetonia retusa

Common name: Cockie's Tongue, Coral Bush

Noongar name: Yackal Djarr, Injid

Description: Much branched shrub, 0.3-4 m high.

Soil/habitat: White sand, red clay, brown and white gravel, limestone.

Cultural use: Flowers are edible. Tea can be made from the crushed seeds. Seeds best collected when the seed pods are young.

Botanical name: Westringia dampieri

Common name: Westringia

Description: Dense shrub, 0.1-2.5m high. Flowers are white, pink, mauve from Jun to Dec or Jan.

Soil/habitat: Often on sandy calcareous soils. Coastal or near-coastal areas.