A highly prized rainforest food traditionally eaten fresh, pressed into drinks, or cooked into sweet-sour pastes. Its deep purple fruit symbolised richness and ceremony and fed both people and rainforest animals — especially cassowaries. Today, Davidson Plum is a gourmet bushfood star, beloved for its vivid colour, intense flavour, and extraordinary health benefits, while remaining a keystone species in tropical rainforest ecology.

Indigenous Uses

1. Fruit – a powerful, prized rainforest food

Indigenous rainforest peoples of north Queensland used Davidsonia pruriens fruit as:

• A tart, vitamin-rich wild plum

• Eaten fresh in small amounts

• Mixed into coolamons of water to create a refreshing drink

• Mashed with honey, nectar or other fruits

• Slowly cooked in embers to reduce sourness

• Pressed into pastes or thin fruit layers for storage

The fruit is extremely high in antioxidants, vitamin C, anthocyanins, and minerals.

2. Cordial and fruit drink base

Traditional preparations involved:

• Crushing ripe fruit

• Mixing with cold water

• Allowing the natural colour and flavour to infuse

• Sometimes sweetened with native honey or nectar

This was a traditional equivalent of a refreshing plum “bush cordial.”

3. Bark and leaves – minor medicinal uses

Decoctions were occasionally used for:

• Skin washes

• Cleansing tonics

• Supporting digestive health

4. Fibre uses

The fibrous inner bark of Davidsonia species could be used for:

• Cordage

• Binding material

• Soft nets or basket components

Not a major fibre plant but used when available.

Stories, Culture & Interesting Lore

1. “Fruit of the deep rainforest”

Davidsonia pruriens is strongly associated with:

• dense, wet tropical rainforest

• Mist-laden gullies

• Deep shade and rich soil

For rainforest peoples, this tree symbolised abundance within the heart of Country — places of good water, good animals, and rich food seasons.

2. A plant of ceremony and kinship

The deep purple juice was sometimes used:

• To stain hands or skin in ceremonies

• As a symbolic representation of bloodline and kinship

• To mark special gatherings or trading events

Its colour was considered powerful and transformative.

3. A seasonal signpost

The fruiting of Davidsonia pruriens marked:

• The arrival of certain wet-season foods

• Timing for collecting rainforest nuts and yams

• The movement of cassowaries and fruit-eating birds

It was part of a complex seasonal calendar.

4. A bird-and-human shared fruit

Cassowaries, fruit-doves, bowerbirds, and rainforest pigeons adore the fruit.Their behaviour was (and still is) used to locate ripe trees.

Many stories emphasise cooperation:

• Birds spread the seeds

• People find the fruit by watching the birds

• The forest thrives through this relationship

Modern Uses

1. Bushfood industry — a superstar ingredient

Davidsonia pruriens is one of Australia’s most sought-after native fruits.

Used today in:

• Jams and jellies

• Chutneys

• Syrups and cordials

• Sauces

• Marinades

• Ice creams and sorbets

• Craft beers and ciders

• Spirits (gin, liqueurs)

• Cheesecake and dessert pairings

• Fruit leather and pastes

Flavour: intensely tart, rich, wine-like, and deeply fruity.

2. Culinary properties

Renowned for:

• Intense purple colour

• High acidity (excellent natural preservative)

• Complex berry-plum flavour

• High antioxidant content

• Gorgeous presentation in gourmet dishes

A favourite in fine dining and bushfood restaurants.

3. Nutraceutical & skincare

Because of its exceptional antioxidant content, Davidson Plum is used in:

• skin serums

• natural health tonics

• wellness drinks

• anti-ageing formulations

• nutritional powders

4. Landscaping & horticulture

A stunning rainforest tree ideal for:

• tropical and subtropical gardens

• rainforest restoration

• native orchards

• shade plantings near waterways

Features:

• Huge clumping pinnate leaves

• Beautiful new red foliage

• Deeply coloured fruit borne on trunk (cauliflorous)

5. Regeneration

Plays a role in:

• rainforest renewal

• wildlife food corridors

• cassowary habitat restoration

• carbon-rich vegetation projects

Ecological Importance

Key cassowary food

Davidsonia pruriens is critical for:

• Cassowaries (major seed dispersers)

• Spotted catbirds

• Figbirds

• Fruit pigeons

• Bowerbirds

Its fruit supports entire rainforest ecosystems.

Cauliflory

The fruit grows directly from the trunk:

• Allows large animals like cassowaries to reach them

• A rare trait perfectly adapted to rainforest ecology

Soil health

The deep leaf litter:

• Feeds soil fungi

• Promotes nutrient cycling

• Maintains rainforest humidity

Fire ecology

• Highly fire-sensitive

• Survives only in fire-protected rainforest

• Indicator of long-term ecological stability.