Herb: Australian Plum


Latin name: Podocarpus elatus


Family: Podocarpaceae (Podocarpus Family)



Edible parts of Australian Plum:

Fruit - raw or cooked. It makes a tasty jelly. Rich and sweet. Mucilaginous with a resinous flavour. A reasonable size, the fruit is about 25mm in diameter. The seed is borne on the top of the fruit.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Evergreen
Tree

Height:
30 m
(98 feet)

Habitat of the herb:

Coastal scrub forest. Once a common tree in Australia, it is now rare due to the destruction of the rainforests.

Other uses of Australian Plum:

Wood - tough, durable, silky textured. Used for cabinet making, indoor use and boat building.

Propagation of the herb:

The seed can be sown at any time of the year in a sandy soil in a warm greenhouse, though it is probably best sown as soon as it is ripe. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts. Cuttings of half-ripe terminal shoots, 5 - 10cm long, July/August in a frame.

Cultivation of Australian Plum:

Coastal scrub forest. Once a common tree in Australia, it is now rare due to the destruction of the rainforests.

Medicinal use of the herb:

None known

Known hazards of Podocarpus elatus:

Superficially similar to Taxus species, but this plant is definitely not poisonous.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.