Herb: Pin-Leaf Geebung


Latin name: Persoonia pinifolia


Family: Proteaceae



Edible parts of Pin-Leaf Geebung:

Fruit - raw or cooked. Succulent but astringent. The fruit has a sweet fibrous pulp that is fixed to one large seed, it tastes somewhat like sweet cotton wool and is relished by the Australian Aborigines.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Shrub

Height:
3.5 m
(11 feet)

Flowering:
July to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Heaths and dry sclerophyll forests in sandy and stony soils.

Propagation of Pin-Leaf Geebung:

Seed - scarify the seed and sow it in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe in the autumn. Keep the seed tray in a sunny position during the following summer and the seed should germinate in the autumn. About 46% germination can be expected. Carefully prick the young seedlings out into individual pots within 1 - 2 days of emerging, the root is very brittle and plants are easily killed. Grow the plants on in the greenhouse for at least their first 2 winters and plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer. Give some protection from winter cold for at least their first winter outdoors.

Cultivation of the herb:

Heaths and dry sclerophyll forests in sandy and stony soils.

Medicinal use of Pin-Leaf Geebung:

None known

Known hazards of Persoonia pinifolia:

None known

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.