While citrus trees around Paluma are full of fruit at present, providing sustenance more to the Cockatoos than human residents, there is also a native rainforest tree/shrub that is currently laden with large round fruit that are beginning to turn yellow or bright orange. From a distance the fruit looks very much like an orange. This is the Native Gardenia or Yellow Mangosteen (Atractocarpus fitzalanii – previously known as Randia fitzalanii1)
Native Gardenia is a native under-story tree in eastern Queensland rainforests. The star-shaped white flowers appear in spring and (unsurprisingly) look at bit like simple gardenia flowers (they share the same family) and have a pleasant perfume.
The fruit is edible and is reported to be good bush tucker2. It can be eaten raw or used in salads, tarts, cakes or other deserts. In fact one author reports that it is one of the few plants that was consumed for is aphrodisiac properties!1 Cassowaries also eat the fruit, but the literature is silent on whether these birds also use it to enhance their reproductive drive. Perhaps you should exercise caution if you see a large male Cassowary with a gleam in its eye when you visit our local grove!
The Native Gardenia is fairly commonly sold in nurseries for its lush foliage and perfumed flowers. The fruit can be quite sweet in some trees but this is quite variable. I confess I have not sampled the fruit but Wilfred had a quick taste of the one at Jourama Falls and found it unremarkable.
Text and photos by Jamie Oliver
Nice article, Jamie.
Examples of these trees can be seen near the car park entrance in Loop Road, in the re-vegetation area down the Range Road from Paluma and near the Little Crystal Creek bridge.