Edibles

Juglans regia is a long-lived tree that grows well in areas of Australia with a Mediterranean climate. The produce of the tree is a large nut with a small kernel and good flavour. Green husks split open dropping nuts on the ground during autumn. Walnut trees are grown in many home gardens as an ornamental tree as it has an attractive spreading canopy and lush foliage. In good soil and the right climate, the trees produce an abundant crop. In poorer soils, the trees will be smaller and nut production will be limited.

Soil: Well-drained loam soil.
Conditions: Full sun to semi-shade. Frost tolerant.
Size: Height 10-25m x width 2-4m

Tasmanian lanceolata Mountain Pepper is a tall, native evergreen shrub or small tree. This lovely example of a bush food plant occurs naturally in the cool, temperate rainforest areas of Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales. It has distinctive reddish branches and smooth, narrow green leaves. Its creamy flowers appear in small clusters in September, with the female tree producing dark red berries that turn black when ripe in around March or April. The leaves have a hot flavour when chewed, and the berries are enjoyed by native birds. Both the leaves and berries can be dried and used as a cooking spice, and when milled, the hardened berries make for a terrific substitute for conventional pepper. Give it a feed with organic slow release fertiliser in early spring and late autumn.

Please note: You’ll need both a female and male plant to produce fruit. 

Soil:  Choose a free draining spot and prepare the site with compost and manure, then mulch well after planting to keep the soil moist. 
Conditions: Plant in a sheltered site that is either in dappled shade or receives morning sun. Frost, wind and cold tolerant.
Size: Height 3-5m x width 2-3m. The tree can grow to 10m in native habitats.

Pyrus pyrifolia Shinseiki Asian Pear Tree is a dessert cultivar with a profusion of fragrant, cream-white flowers in early spring. The flowers are followed in late summer by a heavy crop of large, round, thin-skinned moonlight yellow pears. Their creamy flesh is crisp, juicy and oh-so-sweet! The foliage is a glorious copper in spring, glossy green in summer changing to brilliant red in autumn. Shinseiki is self-pollinating but it will cross-pollinate with other Asian and European pears. With its perfumed flowrs, ever-changing foliage and heavy crop of fruit, Shinseiki pear is a delight for the landscape.

Soil: Moist, well-drained soil.
Conditions: Full sun. Prefers a sheltered frost-free position.
Size: Height 2.4-3m x width 1.8-2m

Hicks Fancy is a delicious mulberry tree ideal for the home garden due to its smaller size. Hicks Fancy is a deciduous tree losing its leaves for winter and providing great shade in summer with its lush green foliage. The self-pollinating tree fruits in October-November, producing plump juicy, black mulberries that burst with a sweet explosion. Hicks Fancy are favourites for making jams, desserts and juices. Water regularly until the tree is established.

Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
Conditions: Full sun. Frost and coastal tolerant.
Size: Height 2-5m x width 2-3m

Morus alba Unryu, or the Contorted Mulberry, is a cultivar that features gnarled, contorted, zigzag branching on a tree but most often grows or is maintained via pruning as a much smaller shrub. It is a rare, and exciting shrub producing edible white fruits, ripening to a purple colour during autumn. Once the lime-green leaves drop, the curled and wavy growth pattern of the trunk and branches is revealed. The contorted mulberry is an incredibly beautiful focal point - perfect for any garden as its lovely white-green blooms attract bees and butterflies, and its contorted, wavy branches attract the eye. Prune in late autumn or winter to avoid bleeding.

Soil: Best grown in rich, moist, well-drained soils
Conditions: Full sun. Tolerant of heat, drought and coastal conditions.
Size: Height 4m x width 3m

Prunus persica Pixzee Miniature Nectarine + Peach is a delightful miniature peach tree; its small size makes it perfect for a small home garden or large pots/containers. Dense clusters of rosy-pink flowers are produced in spring and eventually fall to give way to the red-yellow rounded fruit. Pixzee is self-pollinating and produces a delicious, super juicy yellow-fleshed fruit with moderate firmness and red skin. These healthy fruit trees are a tasty and sweet addition to any home garden for the whole family to enjoy. The fruits can be eaten fresh off the tree or used for stewing, preserving jams or cooking. Peach trees will benefit from annual pruning in winter once the foliage has finished dropping.

Soil: Well-drained soil.
Conditions: Full sun. Grows great in cool temperate climates and handles frost well.
Size: Height 1.5m x width1.5m

Kalamata is one of the most popular varieties of table olive. The well-rounded tree has dark glossy green leaves with silver-grey undersides, and the trunks are irregularly shaped and an attractive grey. Green olives are picked before ripening occurs, whilst black ones are harvested once the olive fruit is fully mature and at maximum ripeness. All olives are cured by fermentation to remove their bitterness. The kalamata olive tree looks spectacular as a feature specimen, lining an avenue and thrives in pots on balconies, patios and verandahs.

Soil: Well-drained soil.
Conditions: Full sun. Coastal and drought tolerant.
Size: Height 6-9m x width 6-9m

Nectarine Queen Giant is an excellent, beautifully flavoured, white-fleshed, freestone nectarine. Crisp, firm and juicy, the fruit is crimson-red over an attractive pale cream ground colour. The deciduous fruit tree has slender bright green leaves along shapely branches, and it will benefit from pruning after the leaves have dropped.

Soil: Well-drained, well-fertilised soil.
Conditions: Full sun. Low chill requirement so suitable for a wide range of climates.
Size: Height 4m x width 4m