Midyim berry — an Australian bush food ready to eat
Photo and story by Russ Grayson
Common name: Midyim berry
Botanic name: Austromyrtus dulcis
Growth form: Low perennial shrub to around 80cm in width and around 60cm in height with pointed leaves around one to three centimetres in length. New leaf growth can be reddish-pink in colour. Fruit to around a centimeter in diameter. Tolerant of open shade and a range of soil types. Small white flowers in Spring. Fruit ripens January to March.
Centre of diversity: Australia. A species of the subtropical heathland with an ecological range from coastal northern New South Wales to south east Queensland.
Useful part: Fruit. Soft-skinned mauve to white fruit speckled with dark spots when ripe. The small seeds are edible. The soft fruit does not keep well.
Uses:
- forage food for gardeners
- edible landscaping
- can be planted as a low hedge
- a specimen planting in educational bushfood gardens.
Reproduction: From seed.
Notes: Fruit has a mild sweetness and is slightly aromatic in flavour. A ‘bushfood’, midyim was eaten by Australian Aborigines.
