A hardy dry-country legume with edible seeds traditionally ground into flour by Indigenous Australians. Its resilience to drought and harsh soils made it a symbol of endurance and a valuable seed plant. Today it supports pollinators, improves soil health, and offers an emerging bushfood potential with its nutritious seeds.

Indigenous Uses

1. Edible seeds – valuable dry-country food

Cullen tenax produces nutrient-rich seeds, which were used by Indigenous Australians as a hardy, reliable food source, especially in arid or semi-arid regions.

• Seeds were collected from the dried pods

• Ground into flour or meal, sometimes mixed with other seeds

• Made into small seed cakes, roasted on stones

• Sometimes eaten whole when softened in water

Seed-based foods were important in lean seasons, making Cullen tenax a quiet but important survival plant.

2. Leaves – occasional food & tea

The tender young leaves were:

• Eaten sparingly as a green

• Added to stews or fire-roasted foods

• Steeped as a light herbal tea

The flavour is earthy, slightly pea-like.

3. Medicinal uses

Though not a primary medicine plant, it was used traditionally for:

• Mild stomach upsets

• General tonic infusions

• Supporting recovery during long travels

The plant’s resilience gave it a reputation for strengthening the body.

4. Fuel & camp utility

Dry stems were:

• Used as quick-burning kindling

• Added to fires for hot, fast boils

• Placed as bedding layers under cooking stones

Its fibrous stems catch flame easily, useful during wet seasons.

Stories, Culture & Interesting Lore

1. A symbol of toughness and survival

Cullen tenax is famous for thriving in:

• Heat

• Drought

• Disturbance

• Poor sandy soils

Its very name tenax means tenacious, and many Indigenous groups regarded it as a survivor’s plant — one that refuses to die even in harsh conditions.

It embodied lessons of endurance, adaptation, and quiet strength.

2. A plant that “waits for rain”

It often lies low and scruffy during dry periods, then bursts with purple flowers after rain.

This made it a seasonal indicator, especially in grassland and open woodland country.

3. A seed-plant taught to children

Collecting and grinding seeds was an important cultural activity, so Cullen species (including C. tenax) were used to teach:

• Seed recognition

• Harvest timing

• Grinding techniques

• Food preservation

4. A favourite of kangaroos and emus

Its presence signaled good foraging for wildlife. Elders watched kangaroo grazing patterns to know when the plant’s seeds were ready for collection.

Modern Uses

1. Bushfood potential (still emerging)

Though less well-known in modern bushfood cuisine, Cullen tenax seeds can be:

• Ground into flour

• Added to multigrain mixes

• Used in seed bars

• Toasted as a crunchy garnish

Its protein content makes it a future candidate for native grain and seed research.

2. Ornamental & regeneration

Cullen tenax is increasingly recognised as a useful:

• Native ornamental (beautiful purple pea-flowers)

• Soil stabiliser

• Revegetation species for degraded land

• Pollinator-support plant

It forms a small, attractive subshrub that thrives with minimal care.

3. Pollinator support

Loved by:

• Native bees

• Blue-banded bees

• Hoverflies

• Butterflies

Its flowers are rich in nectar and attract key pollinators to the garden.

4. Pasture improvement

In rangeland and agricultural settings:

• It enhances soil nitrogen as a legume

• Provides grazing for livestock

• Helps restore biological soil activity

Ecological Importance

Food for wildlife

Seeds and leaves are eaten by:

• Kangaroos

• Wallabies

• Emus

• Small birds

• Insects

Nitrogen fixing

As a legume, it captures atmospheric nitrogen and returns it to the soil, improving fertility for other plants.

Early-succession species

• One of the first plants to return after fire or disturbance

• Stabilises bare soil

• Creates microhabitats for insects

• Prepares the ground for later succession species

Drought-adapted

Its deep root system helps:

• Control erosion

• Maintain soil structure

• Provide resilience in arid landscapes.