Foraging for Native Berries
Pokulbi - Blue Flax Lily (Dianella caerulea)
When in season, berry picking is something my family like to do together. The colours always excite us and we mostly make a lot of jams, teas, cakes, jelly and medicine. But you have to be careful and make sure you are 100% confident with identification, this is true especially in plants like Pokulbi (Dianella).
POKULBI - We live in an area that is both Eora and Dharawal Country, and in D'harawal language, the violet berry comes from a plant called Pokulbi! Also called Dianella or Blue Flax Lily. This particular type of Pokulbi in the picture ( caerulea) is edible like Dianella revoluta, but there still seems to be some confusion with identifying them with the poisonous Dianella tasmanica, Dianella nigra and Dianella intermedia. So unless you’re absolutely sure of what you’re picking don't eat it, just let the berries bring you joy! Or visit a plant nursery and purchase the edible variety in confidence. In Dharawal/ Koori Dreaming, it's named after a beautiful woman who had the same violet colour eyes. It's a sad story, but the berries are said to bring joy and happiness to those who are sad or have been cruelly treated. If you wish to read the full story please go to https://dharawalstories.com/stories/#P written by Aunty Frances Bodkin (Dharawal Elder) and Gawaian Bodkin-Andrews (Traditional custodian).
Lillipilli (Syzygium paniculatum)
Lillipilli or Lilly Pilly is a bright magenta fruit. I adore this fruit. I can’t help but feel very happy when I see these come into season. The fruit is sour and not sweet, and the seeds taste like cloves. Hence why some people prefer to make jam or cook it before consuming. You can eat the fruit and seed fresh or cooked. Seeds are bright green inside when fresh and at their highest potency. I like to keep the seeds as medicine or to grow later.
There are many varieties of Lilly Pilly trees (Syzygium), people often plant the dwarf variety as a hedge tree for privacy. Wild Lilly Pilly trees can grow 6 Metres + tall, and when fruiting can host big and loud parties for native birds.
From the Journal “Food and Function” (Pachulicz et al., 2022) Magenta Lilly Pilly (Syzygium paniculatum) is said to be rich in phytochemicals, antioxidant and neuroprotective properties as well as antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus. They are a high-yielding source of anthocyanins and phenols.
Riberry (Syzygium luehmannii)
Riberry is another type of Lillipilli. The height of growth also dependent on the variety. This is one my children have the most fun with harvesting, because of how easy it is to harvest and the striking pink colour. My kids will use both their hands to pick a bunch of Riberries in one go, often spilling a few onto the ground.
Riberries have much more flavour than the magenta Lilly Pilly. Its flesh has notes of cardamon spice and the seeds taste like bitter cloves. Which is also great medicine.
Lillipilli and Riberry Jam
References
Pachulicz, R. J., Yu, L., Jovcevski, B., Bulone, V., & Pukala, T. L. (2022). Polyphenol characterisation and diverse bioactivities of native Australian lilly pilly (Syzygium paniculatum) extract. Food & function, 13(16), 8585–8592. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2fo01305c