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Plant identification guides:
Bush tucker food forest

Information about medicinal qualities of plants, or about their use as medicines, is for interest only, and is not intended to be used as a guide for the treatment of medical conditions.

 

As with all medicinal applications of Australian bush foods, please do your due diligence and consult with First Nations or other Australian herbal specialists before utilising as a remedy for any condition.

 

Some parts of the plant may not be edible or some may need preparation before they are safe to eat or use in any way. We do our best to describe their traditional & modern uses. It is the reader’s responsibility to ensure they are fit for their intended use.

 

We can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Native Leek

Scientific name:

Other Names:

Bulbine bulbosa

Bulbine lily, golden lily, native onion

Family:

Asphodelaceae

Native Leek

Basic info:

For more information, please see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulbine_bulbosa

Uses and Interesting Information:

A traditional Indigenous staple food, the sweet onion-like bulbs were roasted and enjoyed across southeastern Australia as part of managed grassland agriculture. The plant thrives with careful harvesting, fire, and soil turning, symbolising the reciprocity between people and Country. Today it is prized for its edible bulbs, golden flowers, pollinator value, and role in restoring Australia’s ancient food landscapes.


Indigenous Uses


1. Bulbs – a significant traditional food plant

Bulbine bulbosa is one of the most important tuber-producing plants of southeastern Australia.The bulbs were harvested, roasted and eaten by Indigenous groups who managed grasslands for this species.

Preparation:

  • Bulbs dug up with yam sticks during cooler months

  • Outer skin removed

  • Roasted in ashes or baked in earth ovens

  • Resulting food is sweet, mild, onion-like, and slightly nutty

The bulbs were:

  • A staple seasonal food

  • Transportable in coolamons

  • Shared during gatherings

  • Managed through fire and digging to encourage regrowth

It was part of the rich tradition of yam daisy and grassland agriculture.


2. Greens eaten as cooked vegetables

Young leaves were sometimes:

  • Cooked as greens

  • Added to mixed foraged plant bundles

  • Used sparingly due to mild bitterness when raw


3. Medicinal uses

Juice from the leaves (similar to the Aloe-like relatives in the genus) was used for:

  • Minor skin irritation

  • Light burns or abrasions

  • Cooling bites or stings

Not a major medicine plant, but known for its soothing sap.



Stories, Culture & Interesting Lore


1. A plant belonging to the “Three Sisters of the Grasslands”

Bulbine bulbosa was one of the core plants of Indigenous-managed grasslands, alongside:

  • Yam Daisy (Microseris spp.)

  • Chocolate Lily (Arthropodium milleflorum)

Together these species formed part of a deliberately cultivated foodscape, tended through:

  • digging

  • selective harvesting

  • low-intensity burning


2. A plant that responds to care

Like yam daisies, Bulbine bulbosa increases when:

  • bulbs are harvested carefully

  • soil is opened

  • competing grasses are reduced through burning

For this reason it is often spoken of as a plant that thrives when respected, reinforcing reciprocal relationships with Country.


3. A “sunrise flower”

The bright golden star-shaped flowers open in the morning and close later in the day.

They were viewed as:

  • indicators of good weather

  • signals for collecting certain foods

  • reminders of seasonal change


4. A symbol of grassland abundance

Where Bulbine bulbosa grew in large patches, it indicated:

  • fertile soils

  • healthy grassland ecology

  • well-managed Country

It was an indicator species of thriving cultural landscapes.



Modern Uses


1. Bushfood revival

This species is now re-emerging as:

  • A sustainable native vegetable

  • A gourmet “native onion”

  • A traditional Indigenous staple crop being reintroduced in regenerative farming


Modern uses include:

  • roasting whole bulbs

  • adding to soups and stews

  • using bulbs as substitutes for onion or leek

  • slicing into stir-fries

  • caramelising in butter

  • serving with meats and seasonal vegetables

Flavour: mild onion, slightly sweet, soft and nutty.


2. Ornamental value

Bulbine bulbosa is a stunning garden plant:

  • bright golden star-flowers

  • long flowering season

  • clumping grass-like growth

  • excellent in cottage gardens, native gardens, and rockeries


3. Restoration and Indigenous agriculture

Used in:

  • grassy woodland restoration

  • native food crop trials

  • Indigenous agricultural revival projects

  • cultural education gardens

Its ease of growth makes it a good introduction to native edible plant cultivation.


4. Skin-soothing sap

Leaf sap is used in natural skincare as a soothing gel, similar to aloe vera (though gentler).



Ecological Importance


Pollinators

The flowers attract:

  • native bees

  • hoverflies

  • beetles

  • butterflies

Makes it a valuable pollinator-boosting species in native gardens.


Soil and grassland health

Bulbine bulbosa:

  • contributes to soil aeration through digging and rooting

  • thrives after cultural burning

  • coexists with other native herbs

  • helps maintain open grassland structure


Fire ecology

  • Tuber stores energy below ground

  • Resprouts after low-intensity fire

  • Often flowers heavily after burns

  • Important in fire-maintained ecosystems of southeastern Australia.

Recipes:

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