Curious Fruit Of “The Garden Of Eatin”
Whether it be a vegetable patch or the odd fruit tree, edible plantings have long been a part of Australian gardens. In recent times there is an undeniable trend toward “growing your own”, boasting benefits from improved flavour and nutrition, to reducing chemical use and environmental impact. This has allowed the idea of incorporating food producing plants into landscape design to gain the interest of an ever increasing audience.
Now, with enough research it is surprising what you can label ‘edible’, from New Zealand Flax (Phormium tenax) shoots, to the flowers of various Yucca species, but when looking for something you can’t find in the supermarket that actually tastes good and isn’t just digestible, the pickings get a little slimmer. The following species are five less commercialised plants, yielding fruit that is both pleasant and abundant enough for the kids to pick at, while still having leftovers to treat a visitor or two. Most importantly they are dead easy to grow!
Cape Gooseberry: Physallis peruviana
A member of the Solanaceae family, the ornamental value of this South American native depends on your creativity. The flowers of this small open shrub are an attractive yellow with central dark maroon to black highlights but long soft wooded stems can tend to look a little leggy. It is however, very easy to grow and has an added element of visual interest, as the yellowish marble sized fruit are formed within a husk, giving a similar appearance to Chinese lanterns. The Cape Gooseberry is part sweet, part savoury with a long history in alternative medicine and has proven potential in the kitchen.
Keep in a well-drained, full sun position and remove spent stems that begin to die after fruiting. Though Physallis can be kept as a perennial, there is evidence of increased susceptibility to pests and disease in older plants. Thus when cultivated for production, they are best kept as biennial plantings.
Muntries: Kunzea pomifera
Native to South Australia and Victoria, Kunzea pomifera has long been utilised as a food source by aboriginal people. Muntries are one of the more prized bush foods encountering growing popularity in restaurants and the fruit is now being used in everything from syrups and wine to fruit strap confectionary. The 5-10mm fruit ranges from soft to woody, sweet spiced to tart, others burst with pineapple to fruit salad tastes and there are all manner of combinations in between. Using this prostrate perennial in projects also serves an ecological function with various indigenous animal species able to utilise the plantings as a food source and for habitat.
Muntries occur naturally on dry coastal dunes, so they are great for coastal projects where salt is a problem. They enjoy free draining alkaline soils though tolerate many. Kunzea pomifera has great heat and drought tolerance; however, fruiting is improved with a regular watering regime. Fruit production is also increased through pruning and trellising of the prostrate plants, which with wire support, grow to around a metre.
Natal Plum: Carissa macrocarpa.
A native of South Africa, this thorny ornamental is a fantastic hedging plant to keep out unwanted guests. As a medium shrub, the delicate white, fragranced, flowers and bright red fruit are an attractive contrast against the plant’s glossy green foliage. The strawberry sized fruit is firm with a somewhat granular texture, tart and sweet when ripe in late summer. The Natal Plum is a pleasant tasting novelty fruit but perhaps not to everyone’s taste as a staple.
Suited to full sun and tolerant of a range of well drained soils, Carissa macrocarpa can be hedged or given light to medium pruning after fruiting. They will also tolerate hard thinning of older wood to allow an open plant for better fruit production.
White Sapote: Casimiroa edulis
Grown as an attractive shady tree of 3 to 15 metres, depending on the cultivar, Casimiroa is in the Rutaceae family along with citrus and though the fruit is nothing alike, the growing conditions are quite similar. As a fresh fruit the White Sapote or “Ice Cream Fruit” is in a league of its own. The fruit is delicious with varying descriptions from those that try it, sweet and less tart than most commercialised fruit with a slightly creamy flavour somewhat similar to an avocado. Then again, it is nothing like an avocado…
Consideration should be given to the location of this tree in regard to the dropping of large unpicked fruit that can quickly make a mess. Casimiroa are happy in full sun and require little maintenance besides staking for the first few years. Though they are drought tolerant, regular deep watering insures good fruit production and also promotes deep roots. If a shallow watering regime is followed substantial surface roots can develop, potentially damaging nearby pipes and paving.
Jujube: Ziziphus zizyphus
Jujube or Chinese dates are produced on the small trees of 5 to 10metres. Though deciduous and with a shape not offering much shade in summer, the pale foliage of Ziziphus is attractive and the ample supply of an appealing fruit make this plant well worthwhile. The fruit can be eaten fresh or dried and is often used in preserves, syrups and even to make a unique tea. The spongy texture of the slightly aged fruit can be likened somewhat to dried apple. Ziziphus tolerate a wide range of temperatures and rainfall, however hot summers and sufficient water is best for quality fruiting. They are just as tolerant of a range of soil types. Little or no pruning is needed for Jujube plants
Note: There are valid concerns about the weedy potential of rootstocks used for grafted Ziziphus. Typically intensely thorny and yielding small fruit any rootstock shoots should be swiftly removed.
On closing a final caution to those embarking on edible landscape projects is probably in order. The above mentioned fruit is tried and tested in South Australia. There are a variety of interesting fruiting plants sold from time to time that may well never produce satisfactorily in the South Australian climate and others that will need pollination partners to produce. So if in doubt, conduct some research before parting with your dollars. The Rare Fruit Society of S.A is an excellent resource for such information.
Good luck and Happy Harvesting!
Dan Austin
