One of Australia’s sweetest native fruits. Midyim berries were traditionally enjoyed fresh by Indigenous Australians and loved by children for their speckled skin and delicate flavour. Growing naturally along coastal sands and forest edges, this gentle plant feeds birds, stabilises dunes, and is now prized in bush-tucker gardens for its delicious berries and soft, silvery foliage.

Indigenous Uses

1. Berries – one of the most beloved Indigenous bushfoods

Midyim berries were cherished by Indigenous groups along the east coast and are often described as:

• Sweet, soft, and mildly spicy

• Flavours of blueberry + eucalyptus + ginger

• A favourite for children

Traditionally eaten:

• Fresh off the bush

• Mixed with other fruits

• Crushed into sweet drinks

• Pressed into simple fruit pastes

Among the most widely enjoyed and safe beginner bushfoods.

2. Leaves – light aromatic tea

The soft leaves were sometimes infused as a light herbal tea, offering:

• A gentle sweetness

• Subtle mint–myrtle aroma

• Mild digestive support

3. Bark & stems – minor medicinal roles

Used occasionally in traditional medicine:

• Mild antiseptic washes

• Gentle digestive tonics

• Cooling poultices for skin

Not a major medicinal plant, but valued for its soothing quality.

4. Children’s teaching plant

Because the fruit is:

• Easy to identify

• Safe

• Delicious

• Readily accessible

Elders used it to teach children foraging, seasons, and plant respect.

Stories, Culture & Interesting Lore

1. “The gift berries”

Midyim berries were often described as a gift plant because of how generously and consistently they fruit.

Some stories attribute them to:

• Ancestral beings who blessed the dunes and coastal paths

• A reward for travellers who walked gently through country

2. Associated with coastal movement

Austromyrtus dulcis thrives in:

• Coastal heath

• Dunes

• Sandy foredunes

• Edges of eucalypt forest

Their widespread presence made them a favourite traveller’s food, offering energy during long walks.

3. A plant of harmony and balance

The bush’s soft form, gentle flavour, and reliability gave it a reputation as a plant of:

• Calm

• Good spirit

• Sharing

• Friendship

Some families gifted baskets of midyim berries to neighbouring groups during gatherings.

4. A signal of winter–spring transition

Midyim berries often appear in cooler months and early spring.Their ripening was a seasonal indicator of shifting resources.

Modern Uses

1. Culinary – one of the best bushfood berries

Midyim berries are extremely versatile:

• Eat fresh

• Add to fruit salads

• Make jams, jellies, compotes

• Bake into muffins, cakes, tarts

• Steep in syrups or gin

• Create berry sauces

• Make ice creams and sorbets

Their unique speckled skin makes them visually stunning.

2. Ornamental landscaping

A highly prized plant in native gardens:

• Compact shrubs (0.3–1 m)

• Soft, silvery foliage

• Masses of white starry flowers

• Attractive speckled berries

Perfect for:

• Native display gardens

• Edible borders

• Coastal plantings

• Paths

3. Pollinator and wildlife support

Flowers attract:

• Native bees

• Stingless bees

• Hoverflies

• Butterflies

Berries feed:

• Birds

• Small mammals

• Reptiles

4. Regeneration

Useful in:

• Coastal dune restoration

• Soil stabilisation

• Understory revegetation

• Wildlife corridor planting

Ecological Importance

Fruit for wildlife

Midyim berries support:

• Honeyeaters

• Silvereyes

• Currawongs

• Possums

• Bandicoots

• Lizards

Habitat structure

Provides:

• Dense low cover for ground-dwelling animals

• Nectar for insects

• Food for frugivores

• Stabilisation of sandy soils

Fire ecology

• Resprouts after low-intensity fire

• Seeds germinate in post-fire environments

• Re-establishes quickly in dunes and heathland.