Sports, Parks and Environment

Native Raspberry

Rubus parvifolius

Native Raspberry berries are food for native birds and valuable cover for bandicoots. The berries are sweet and edible and were gathered by colonists for jams and pies. The leaves of the Native Raspberry can be used to make a natural tea. 

These red berries can be eaten from December to April.

Coast Beard-Heath

Leucopogon parviflorus

Small (4-5mm) white berries with an almost pearl-like glow when fully ripe.

This plant can be found in coastal areas across Australia, including the lovely Venus Bay where you are now.

The berries can be eaten in Spring and Summer, but keep an eye out for those that are white. They're the one's that are ready to eat. They start off as green berries, and go white once fully ripened.

Karkalla

Carpobrotus rossii

Karkalla, also known as Pigface, comes in a range species. This species can be found in coastal areas in the southern half of Australia.

The Karkalla fruit is edible and tastes a bit like salty strawberries. When the fruit comes through, it starts green and turns red once ripe. With this fruit, the skin is not edible. Simply pick the fruit from the stem and squeeze out the white inner flesh from the fruit. That white flesh is the edible part of the fruit. It is usually ready for eating in Summer.

The inner flesh of the leaves has a similar consistency to aloe vera and can even be used like aloe. It has a cooling, moisturising feel and can be used to treat insect bites, burns and sunburn. A great tip for those warm days by the beach if you've neglected your sunscreen!