Garden Bed 5 | Aqwest

Overhead shot of a myoporum insulare plant.

Bright green stems of Alyxia buxifolia in front of a wire fence with hills in the background.

Dysentry bush

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.

Close up of the anigozanthos manglesii flower.

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.

Grass-like leaves of anigozanthos viridis.

Swamp Kangaroo Paw

Botanical name: Anigozanthos viridis

Common name: Green Kangaroo Paw, Swamp Kangaroo Paw

Noongar name: Koroylbardany, Koroylbardang

Description: Rhizomatous, perennial, herb, 0.05-0.85m high. Flowers are green/yellow-green from Aug to Oct.

Soil/habitat: Sand, loam, clay. Winter-wet areas.

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.

Multiple baumea preissii plants in pots with long lime green leaves.

Broad Twig Sedge

Botanical name: Baumea preissii

Common name: Broad Twig Sedge

Description: Large rhizomatous perennial sedge, 1.5m high. Flowers are brown from September to October.

Soil/habitat: Watercourses, lakes and swamps.

Ruby Salt Bush

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.

Bright purple and light green fruit of the myoporum insulare prostrate plant.

Coastal Boobialla

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).