A favourite bush-tucker plant of Indigenous Australians. The sweet, soft fruits were eaten fresh or roasted in ashes for a caramel-like treat. The vine’s tough stems were sometimes used as makeshift ties or light cordage. Today it remains a symbol of healthy country and is a favourite for kids, native wildlife and bush-food lovers.

Indigenous Uses

1. Bush Tucker – eaten fresh or as a sweet treat

• The fruit was traditionally eaten when fully ripe, turning soft, purple-green, and sweet — with a flavour often described as pear-meets-kiwi with a hint of custard.

• Many Indigenous groups would bury or soften underripe fruits in warm ashes to make them sweeter and easier to digest.

• The fruit was valued as a good source of quick energy when moving across the country.

2. Cooked in ashes – the “bush caramel apple”

• Some Indigenous communities roasted the firm, unripe fruit in hot ashes.

• The heat caramelises the sugars, producing a sweet, jammy texture.

• This is one of the few native fruits traditionally cooked, similar to roasting bush yams or pandanus fruit.

3. Medicinal uses

• While not a major medicinal plant, infusions of the leaves or roots were occasionally used:

  • As a mild stomach-soothing tea in some regions.

  • Crushed leaves were sometimes used as a gentle antiseptic wash for small sores.

• Because the plant was common along pathways and open woodland edges, it was often a convenient “camp medicine”.

4. Fibre and practical use

• The vine has tough, flexible stems, which some communities used:

  • To tie temporary structures.

  • For lightweight basket or string making.

• It wasn’t a primary fibre plant, but it was used when other sources weren’t available.

Stories, Culture & Interesting Lore

1. A plant that “follows people”

• Apple berry naturally pops up along animal trails, camp edges, and pathways, so some groups spoke of it as a plant that likes to live “where people walk.”

• It was considered a friendly, approachable bush food — one that never hides.

2. A children’s favourite

• Many Aboriginal Elders recall the fruit as one of the first bush treats children learned to forage.

• Kids would squeeze soft ripe fruits directly into their mouths like a natural custard pouch.

3. A sign of healthy country

• Where apple berry grows, it tells you:

  • The soil is relatively healthy.

  • The fire regime has been right (the plant reshoots strongly after fire).

  • There is water somewhere not too far down.

• It was sometimes used as an indicator when planning pathways or seasonal camps.

4. A quiet “healer vine”

• Though only lightly medicinal, it was viewed as a balancing plant:

  • Gentle in flavour

  • Soft in form

  • Non-toxic

  • Resilient and forgiving

Some custodians refer to plants like this as “good for the spirit” — not a ceremonial plant, but an emotionally comforting one because of its reliability.

Modern Uses

1. Food & culinary

• Eaten fresh (soft and ripe only).

• Cooked fruit makes:

  • Jams

  • Syrups

  • Fruit leather

  • Ice-cream flavouring

  • Pancake or cake additions

• The flavour is mild, sweet and unique — an easy introduction to bush foods for tourists.

2. Herbal infusions

• Leaves can be steeped as a light herbal tea.

• Has a mild, green flavour, slightly like jasmine and green apple.

3. Ornamental and landscaping

• A beautiful native climber for trellises, fences, and revegetation.

• Used extensively in:

  • Bushland restoration

  • Wildlife gardens

  • Indigenous plant corridors

• Flowers attract bees; fruit feeds small birds and marsupials.